Rapture, Tribulation Period, And Beyond!

Rapture, Tribulation Period, And Beyond!

A Step By Step Walk Through The Rapture, Tribulation Period, Millennium, Judgments, And Eternal State.

By

Haskel E. Malone, Sr. & Terry J. Malone

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Terry J. Malone. All Rights Reserved.

Discover other titles by Terry J. Malone at Smashwords.com.

Special thanks to Kathy Anderson for editing this work.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table Of Contents

Chapter One: The Blessed Hope Will You Be Left Behind?

Chapter Two: It Will Be A Pre-Tribulation Rapture; The Argument

Chapter Three: Who Will Populate The Millennium?: The Jewish Remnant, Those Who Take The Mark Of The Antichrist?

Chapter Four: Matthew 24:29-31 Explained

Chapter Five: Who Will Be Left Behind? Those Who Forget God

Chapter Six: The Bema Seat, Judgment Of The Christians

Chapter Seven: Why Tribulation And How It May Begin

Chapter Eight: The Seven Sealed Judgments

Chapter Nine: The Rise Of The Antichrist

Chapter Ten: The Seven Trumpet Judgments

Chapter Eleven: The Seven Bowl Judgments-The Seventh Trumpet Sounds

Chapter Twelve: The Second Coming Of Christ

Chapter Thirteen: The Millennium Kingdom

Chapter Fourteen: The Final Reckoning-The Judgment Of Man, Satan, And The Fallen Angels

Chapter Fifthteen: The Eternal State

Chapter One: The Blessed Hope Will You Be Left Behind?

Shielding my face from the afternoon sun, as drops of sweat cascaded from my brow, I could hear a familiar horn sounding in the distance. I’ve heard that horn many times in my life, but today it was extra special. For today is my daughter's first birthday.

As I gathered my tools, thoughts of the celebration began filling my mind. This would be a birthday I would not long forget. Collecting my things, I raced to my truck in anticipation of the joy that would follow. As I drove off, a couple of the guys yelled out birthday wishes for my daughter. I smiled and waved at them as I pulled out onto the road.

On the drive home, glancing at the presents I had bought her, thoughts of her birth and the excitement that she had brought into my life raced through my mind. The light in her eyes as I held her for the first time, the touch of her tiny little fingers as they caressed my protective hand, and the magic of her smile knowing that I loved her. She was my treasure and the apple of my eye. I couldn’t imagine life without her.

As I neared my home, a newsbreak abruptly signed on, interrupting the music that I had been listening to. Turning my attention to the report, to my shock, it was saying that a plane had just crashed into a building in Los Angeles, although not confirmed. Looking on in astonishment, immediately thoughts of the 911 tragedy came rushing to my mind. How could this have happened again, I cried pounding the face of the dashboard. Disbelief and anger began to overtake me as my emotions started to race. I knew I had to get home to my family to make sure they were safe.

As I darted in and out of traffic, thoughts of death and disaster began to invade my mind. With each passing traffic light the horrors of the moment became increasingly vivid. Sitting there listening, I wanted to kill whoever was responsible for this tragedy and death alone was too good for them.

Stopping for a traffic light and fuming over what had just transpired, I noticed that there was something clipped to the upper side of my sun visor. Flipping it down, a smile replaced my look of distress. It was a picture of my wife and little girl. She had just gotten her first tooth and was grinning from ear to ear. As I gazed affectionately at that picture, feelings of love and joy began to fill my heart. Looking over at the gifts that I had bought for my daughter, I realized I had let this horrible tragedy get the best of me. As terrible as it was, I still had to get a grip on myself and go on with life.

Suddenly, the light turned green, and I was off to meet my wife and daughter with renewed vigor. Nothing was going to spoil this birthday, and I was looking forward to seeing the look on her face as I gave her her presents.

As I proceeded toward home, in the distance, I could see the flashing of police lights. An accident or something has happened, I thought as I continued with caution. As I came closer, it looked like a vehicle of some sort had crashed into the side of Johnson’s Drugstore. Slowing to get a better look, I peered intently out the window to see what had happened. However, a policeman directing traffic signaled for me to keep moving, so I increased my speed and continued on my way home. I hope nobody was hurt, I said as I drove away.

A few blocks up I came to my neighborhood. Turning down my street, my excitement began to mount as I anticipated seeing my little girl. As I drove down my street, I could see my neighbors out talking to one another. Many of them appeared to have worried and concerned looks on their faces. Some were even crying. But that didn’t surprise me considering what had just taken place in L.A.

Finally, I was home. What a day this has turned out to be! But now it was time to enjoy life, and at the same time, bring a little joy to someone I love. Parking my car, I ran toward the house with presents in hand like I had just won the lottery. Fumbling with keys and balancing cumbersome presents, I finally opened the door. Honey I’m home, I said as I walked through the door. But there was no answer as I carefully placed the gifts on the bench in the foyer. Honey where are you? I called as I entered the kitchen area. As I surveyed the kitchen, something wasn’t right. Hot pans were boiling over, and looking into the living room, the baby’s toys were scattered about with television blaring. Upset, I began to search upstairs calling out my wife’s name as I went. Room by room I searched, but there was no sign of either of them throughout the whole upstairs.

Fearing something was amiss, I began to search the rest of house looking in every room and opening up every closet. As I searched, a sense of urgency began to kick in. Where were they?…Where could they have gone? Finally, it dawned on me. Her Car! She wouldn’t go anywhere without her car; it had the only car seat for the baby in it. Hurriedly running out to the garage, I tripped and fell down the last two steps of the garage entrance. Rolling several times, I found myself down on the cold damp cement garage floor. Quickly collecting myself, I looked across the garage to see if her car was in its usual place. To my dismay, it was still there. In a panic, I ran out to the backyard peering in every direction searching for clues, any clues that might tell of their whereabouts. But not a trace of them was to be found.

Hurrying back into the house, I ran into the living room and grabbed the phone. My head was spinning, but soon names and faces came to mind and I began to dial. In my haste, I kept dialing the wrong number. Calm down, I kept telling myself. There’s got to be a reasonable explanation for this. Someone could have picked them up or there could have been an emergency. Thinking the worst, I grabbed the phone book to lookup area hospitals.

As I began to dial, the words Breaking News came flashing across the television. I suspected it was further information about the crash in Los Angeles, so I continued my sequence of numbers. But this was no ordinary newsbreak. As I listened, I slowly hung up the phone, mesmerized, and in disbelief at what the reporter was reporting. We interrupt this program for late breaking news. Reports from all over the world are coming in that millions of people are allegedly missing. Details are sketchy at this point, but many of the eyewitnesses claim that the missing simply vanished before their eyes. So far, the state department, as to what this could be, has explored no explanation, but we will keep you up to date as more details become available. We take you now live to our offices in Washington…

As I sat there listening in stunned disbelief, it suddenly dawned on me what had happened today. The plane that crashed into the building in L.A., it wasn’t a terrorist attack. The crash that took place at the drug store, it wasn’t an accident. Suddenly, my mind began to race and a look of horror came over me. NO, NO, PLEASE GOD, NO! I screamed as I sat in the darkness of the room. This can’t be happening to me! Not wanting to believe the thoughts that had permeated my mind, I hysterically began dialing everyone I knew that might know where my wife and daughter might be.

Hour after hour I spent calling that night, watching the TV as expert after expert gave their explanation for this bizarre yet very real nightmare. A number of her church friends weren’t at home so I got in my car and headed for their houses. As I was driving, it occurred to me, if this were the rapture, the preacher would be the most likely person to be taken. So I turned the car around and headed for his house.

As I sped toward his home, I began to weep uncontrollably. I couldn’t help but think of the many times the preacher had been in my home and begged me to come to the Lord, but I would not listen. I could remember, as he looked into my eyes, the love on his face as he tenderly touched my hand and warned me of this impending day. But I turned him away every time with a promise that someday I would change and come to the Lord. Time and time again I made that promise never really believing that this hour would ever come.

Snapping back to the present, suddenly, I could hear the sound of sirens coming toward me. Was I speeding? As I looked up ahead, I could see several police cars heading down the road in the opposite lane. Shuu! I said, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. They weren’t after me.

Determined to find out the truth, I pressed on to my destination. As I drove closer to his house I became increasingly nervous that he wouldn’t be there. But what if he was there. Was he left behind too, and if not, then where are my wife and daughter?

As I drew closer to his house, I could feel my heart pounding violently against my chest. I kept repeating over and over, Please be there, please be there, please be there. Coming to an abrupt stop, I leaped out of my car and sprinted to his front door. As I knocked on the door, I noticed that his car was parked in the driveway. I could also hear the sound of his TV in the background. After pounding several times, I went over to the bay window and peered into the living room. The TV was on and what looked to be the evening newspaper was sloping haphazardly down the front of the sofa. I also noticed a partially drank beverage on the end table. Somebody was there…or had been there.

After a few minutes of waiting to see if someone would return to the living room, I decided to try the other entrances of the house. Running around to the back, I peered into every window hoping to catch a glimpse of someone in the house, but there was no sign of anyone.

Opening up the back screen door, I began to pound fiercely on the fragile wooden frame. Is anyone home, I yelled. Suddenly, the door jarred loose from its rusty latch. Hmm! The back door was unlocked, so I decided to investigate. Walking tentatively through the back door, I could hear the noise of the TV still playing in the living room. Hello! Is anyone home, I repeated. Can anyone hear me? As I walked slowly up the back staircase into the kitchen, I continued to call out to anyone who may be in the house, but still no answer. After searching the upstairs, I went to the basement to see if anyone was down there. As I walked down the stairs I could see that someone was in the middle of washing clothes, but no one was around.

As I stood there in that cold dark basement, I looked up to heaven and began to cry. As my emotions began to overtake me, I slowly dropped to my knees. Burying my head in my hands, in a fit of anger mixed with rage, I began to cry out, Why God…why did you take my baby girl! Why! In bitter anguish, I began to scream and wail as I rocked uncontrollably back and forth on the floor. What would I do now? How could I go on?

As I lay there empty and alone on that basement floor, I knew that I would never see my wife or baby again. I knew that through all the false promises and the countless excuses I had made, my time had come and gone…for Jesus had come and I had been left behind.

Jesus Our Hope And His Promise

After the resurrection of Christ, before He was taken up out of this world, He left behind a promise that He would return some day in like manner to receive His bride (Acts 1:10, 11). It is for this Blessed Hope that we long and wait patiently.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: And the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).

More then ever, I am looking for the Lord to come at any moment and rapture the church. This must have been what Noah felt as 120 years of warning people was coming to an end. He didn’t know when God would destroy the world with water but he knew the event was imminent.

How do I know this will happen? I don’t! What will the timeframe be? It could be days, months, and maybe even years (although I doubt years). However, as I read the headlines, I see a day coming very soon when all warnings will cease.

Jesus foretold many signs while on earth about the end times. One thing He made clear was that that final generation could know the day that they were living in. Jesus stated, And he spake to them a parable; behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand (Luke 21:30-31). As Jesus declares, we know that summer is fast approaching when we begin to see the leaf buds on a tree; likewise, when you begin to see all the end-time prophecies beginning to take place, it’s time to look up because summer is fast approaching.

Certainly, I don’t advocate date setting, but I do believe Scripture supports that we as Christians should not be ignorant of the times. Every major Biblical occurrence was always preceded by a warning or direction from God as to what holy men should look for…from the flood to the birth of Christ. The last days are no different. Many point to Matthew 24:36, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only, as evidence that we can’t determine when the Lord will come. I agree with that in part. Let me explain.

This passage of Scripture speaks volumes about the knowledge that God has given the church regarding the end times.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh