Posted by AU on 10/4/2001, 2:30 pm

Re: An Answer for Pat, More Posted by Author Unknown on 9/16/2001, 5:17 am , in reply to "Re: An Answer for Pat" During the time the overcoming Christian's ministry begins, the church will be bowed over due to persecution. This persecution will work as a fire to burn off our worldly chaff. As we are driven from our homes and places of work, no longer able to provide for our basic needs, we will begin to cry out to God. It’s possible that God will rain down manna like he did to provide sustenance to Israel of old during their wilderness experience. Many of the Prophets Shall Die It is written, “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them” (Revelation 11:7, NIV). This verse depicts the two witnesses/prophets. Please tie it in with this next verse for it is parallel in content. This next verse is a different view of the same events, involving the same people and the same time frame. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (Revelation 12:11, NIV). This event involves the male child-company or “nation” as penned in Isaiah that the woman brings forth. Notice the word “testimony” was used in each of the last verses we viewed. This word testimony signifies “to witness in a legal sense.” There’s another general word for testimony John could have used that was not a legal term. God inspired the Apostle John to record the legal term because mankind is in a legal battle over a mortgage scroll. Our witness is a binding legal testimony that will be reviewed before the Great White Throne Judgment Seat of the Most High. In any war there are casualties. Looking into the history of the early church will demonstrate that multitudes of Christians died for the word of their testimony. Many were fed to the lions. Many were burned at the stake. Those Christians took a stand in this life that had eternal consequences. Those saints did not die in vain. They held the Word of God high, as a standard to be abided by at any expense. The main focus of Revelation is on the overcoming brothers and sisters who are born out of the womb of Zion, i.e. “the church” as she brings forth her children. It is written: “The LORD roars from Zion” (Amos 1:2, NIV). The Lord has used many different symbols to represent the overcoming church in prophecy; the book of Revelation is crying out to these Christians. Like wisdom, as it gathers its chosen ones together, even so Zion, the city of the living God, yea, the heavenly Jerusalem, is beckoning forth a welcome. As soldiers in God's army, we have been empowered to fight the good fight, not with manmade arms and ammunition, but with the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. God has framed our objective; Jesus Christ is our captain. It's not our war. The war is the Lord’s. The Almighty requires our allegiance to the standard of the Lamb. First of all, let us review the plan, then set out to raise the standard. ---------- Posted by Author Unknown on 9/16/2001, 5:29 am , in reply to "Re: An Answer for Pat, More" Dear Pat: Instead of just posting chapters from a book, I will answer your question. It is my understanding that the "Great Tribulation" is of a much shorter time duration than the seven years many beleive it contains. I am still pre-trib. When I spoke of the finer points of doctrine as it were I was not speaking of the general questions you appear to be asking. Some people get so focused on minor details that they miss what the whole picture represents. This is not what you are doing, therefore I would be happy to share my understanding of Revelation with you. Nevertheless much of what I know is contained in a book. Perhaps you would like to read the whole book that I penned? If you send me your address via e-mail I would be happy to mail you a copy.