In preparation for the "rapture" or the "fetching away" of the bride of Christ which is likely to occur in the summer of 2006 (the end of the current year-week) or in the summer of 2013 (the end of the subsequent year week). As many of you may be aware, the Aztec calendar (based upon cyclical data) predicts the end of the age to occur December 23, 2012. Jesus' second coming to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords is likely to occur during the last year of the year week which begins in the summer of 2012. This final year of the year week runs from August 23, 2012 to August 23, 2013. However, the bride of Christ will be "raptured," or "fetched away" seven years prior to Christ's triumphant return, i. e., in the summer of 2006. This will occur to spare the Holy Bride of Christ the terrors and torments of antichrist's rule of which Daniel chapter seven states "antichrist will prevail against the saints for times, time and a half time" (or three and one half years.)
Those of you who just analyzed the above introductory statement may justifiably exclaim, "Wait a minute! If the saints are 'raptured' seven years prior to Jesus' triumphant return then there shouldn't be any saints still on the earth for antichrist to prevail against for three and one half years!" Good point. But the Holy Scriptures are plain: Not all the saints will be raptured. Only the saints who walk in holiness will be raptured. Jesus is coming for a bride that is "without spot or wrinkle,"i. e., a holy bride. Those saints who confess "Jesus as Lord" and yet continue to walk in their own understanding, not allowing the Spirit of Christ to prevail in their lives day by day, will not be raptured because they do not "know" Christ spiritually, and only accede to him intellectually. They will be left behind to face the wrath of antichrist and martyrdom, but if they maintain their confession of Christ to the end, they will be saved, because "All those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
Mat. 25:1-13:
At that time (at the time of the rapture) the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish virgins took their lamps (their confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior) but they didn't take any oil with them. (They didn't walk daily in the unction of Jesus' gift of the Holy Spirit. See John 14:15-21.)
The wise virgins took oil in jars (Jesus' gift of the Holy Spirit) along with their lamps (their confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior.)
The bridegroom was a long time in coming, so all the virgins became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: "The bridegroom has arrived! Come out to meet him!"
The virgins all awoke and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones panicked and cried out to the wise virgins, "Give us some of your oil! Our lamps are going out!"
"No," they replied, "there may not be enough for all of us. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves."
So while the foolish virgins hurried on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived, and the wise virgins went with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
Then the other virgins also came. "Sir! Sir! Open the door for us!" they cried.
But he replied, "I tell you the truth, I don't know you."
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
We can read Jesus' description of the different categories of people that will be on the earth at the time of the rapture outlined in Revelation 22:11: "He that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous let him be righteous still, and he that is holy let him be holy still."
So every occupant of the earth is either unjust, filthy, righteous or holy. The "holy" will be raptured at the coming of Christ to fetch away his bride before the terrible reign of antichrist wreaks its havoc on the earth. The "righteous" will be martyred at the hands of antichrist, and because of their steadfast confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior, they will rule and reign on the earth with Jesus during his millennial reign on the earth:
Rev. 20:4:
"I saw the souls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and those who refused to worship the beast or his image, and who had refused to receive his mark on their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Therefore, we, as Christians, should make every effort to quicken our awareness by examining what we must do day by day to assure that we are walking in the Holiness of Christ:
One:
Read and Meditate on Psalm 91: God the Father is your pavilion, your refuge, your fortress, your ever-present help in time of need, your protector, in him will you trust.
Two:
Know that the name of "Jesus" protects you:
Proverbs 18:10: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe."
John 17:11: Jesus prays for those the Father has given him: "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one just as we are one. While I was with them I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction (Judas Iscariot) so that the scripture would be fulfilled."
Proverbs 18:24: "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother." (Therefore, let those who are in distress call "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!")
Psalm 20:7: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."
Three:
Live by the truth of Nehemiah 8:10:
Nehemiah 8:10: "The joy of the Lord is your strength!"
Man can overcome the negative influences of the flesh and the world via the "Joy of the Lord" and the "Ecstasy" of the victories that come through abiding in Christ. As one prays continually (per the command of Jesus our Lord,) the Spirit of Joy and Thanksgiving rises out of your inner-most being to oppose every evil influence that would dare to rear its ugly head. One then becomes a heat-seeking missile seeking out pernicious, evil influences to attack and annihilate them.
As relates to "the fallen nature," or "the flesh," this is called "removing the log that is in your eye so that you may see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye." (Jesus of Nazareth, Mat. 7:3-4)
Four:
Walk in the truth of Titus 1:15:
Titus 1:15: "to the pure (to the holy) all things are pure (all thing are holy), but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure (nothing is holy.)" The holiness believer walks as in the Holy Sanctuary of the Holy Presence of his God forever and ever. And every object of the creation then takes on a holy aura, a sanctity, a brilliance never experienced before: The believer is "born again" of the Spirit of God, and, therefore, is ready to be "fetched away" in the rapture.
Postscript
Everything that is "negative" is of the flesh and of the world. Therefore, one makes a deliberate decision by a deliberate act of one's will to overcome the flesh and the world by the Spirit of Christ, which is joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Joy, Love and Peace through Jesus our Lord and God our Holy Father. Amen.
William A. Gabel, Jr., P. O. Box 184, Wabash, IN 46992
E Mail Address: WilliamGabel@Comcast.net
Website: CyclesResearch.org