Many of us are waiting for the Rapture. I remember in the 1970s, Don Stanton, a mighty man of God, the founder of the Maranatha Revival Crsade came to our school, Mount Hermon School in Darjeeling and shared terrifying events that were happening in the present world, it sounded like we were spiraling towards the ends of time. We were all prepared for the Rapture, (even though I was not saved at that time, but a young girl, so I was sure to go up, I felt). I know Brother Don Stanton has a very honorable ministry and he enlightens us with so much powerful information, which gives us greater discernment of our times and is very important to prepare and warn us. The Rapture will happen, yet I believe, yet the Rapture date or even timeframe is not revealed to us. We have been waiting each year and it has tarried.
God wants to do something very important before the Rapture!! Mark 32:13: 32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Jesus said that while He was still on earth. In His human form on earth, He took on the nature and limitations of a human, He could not tell us the time or date and since ages past, we have been speculating, predicting, and prophesying the close dates of the Rapture. It will come. But I strongly believe before the Rapture, something very important has to happen and this is why the Lord is tarrying – for a last revival – but we are not praying for it because we are waiting for the Rapture so we feel there is no time to waste to pray for the sinking sinning world!
There are three teachings that do not believe there is a last great revival:
1. They believe this is the age of apostasy, and revival is happening in pockets with God’s true believers, so they do not pray for it – they are eagerly awaiting the Rapture.
2. The second group believe that Revival is for the Tribulation, where the prophesy of Joel 2 will be full-fulled. Once again, they believe the Gospel has already reached the ends of the earth, people have all heard the Gospel and the 1904 revival was the revival that brought the Gospel to the nations.
3. The third group believes that Joel 2 is for the Millennium and that is the only time when all the nations will believe in Christ and follow the true Living God. With these beliefs, there is not much room for prayer for the last revival. Now again, since the last greatest revival was in 1904, should not the Rapture have happened immediately after that, since nearly the whole world had heard the Gospel? Why is the Rapture still tarrying for over a hundred years.
I believe there will be a last revival because there has to be a last mighty wave of repentance and awakening to God and mass salvations to the deepest degree beyond the 1904 revival right before the Rapture and Tribulation. One last chance to the churches and unbelievers is given by a merciful God. Matthew 24:14 New International Version (NIV)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
The end speaks of the end of the age of Grace as after the Rapture is the Tribulation which is the age of Judgement.
The Bible prophesies and promises that in the last days in Joel 2: 28-32 there will be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit that will come upon all flesh for glory or for judgment. This could not refer to the Tribulation, because there are no miracles in the Tribulation except when Jews, Arabs and Gentiles will call upon the Lord and the only miracles in the Tribulation are performed by the two witnesses/prophets of God/Jews who will stand at the city square, prophesy disaster and judgment on the people, perform mighty miracles, and ultimately get killed, but they will be raised up again. During the Tribulation the 144,000 Jews will get saved as the first fruits of Israel, who will be the first believers of Jesus, Yeshua after the Rapture. The 144,00 saints will have a special seal of protection, but there is no record in Revelation that they did any miracles – I cannot find one.
However, during this time, the two witnesses will be anointed to share the Gospel and do miracles. There was no Joel 2:28 -32 miracles recorded in Revelation save for the two witnesses. Joel 2:28:32 is related to the Church for the last great revival before the Rapture.
Revelation 11:3: And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a] 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Again, apart from the two witnesses performing miracles, there will be no miracles or signs and wonders to turn people to God, but it will be a sudden realization that Jesus Yeshua is the Messiah and Saviour of the world. Thus Joel 2 refers to a time before the Tribulation and not during the tribulation as some scholars ascribe.
The Tribulation will be a time where the Arabs according to the Bible will attack Israel in the end times trying to take over Israel and in Ezekiel 35:6-7, 15, God will make the Arab lands desolate. Yet God has a plan for the Arabs too, and during the Tribulation, a remnant of the Arabs along with the Jews will turn their hearts to the one and only true God, Yahweh (Jeremiah 12:14-17). A prophecy concerning the future salvation of an Arab remnant is in Isaiah 19:16-25. Isaiah says that when the Lord strikes Egypt and Assyria, they will turn to Him and He will have compassion on them and “heal them.” Isaiah then presents an incredible picture of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel living together in peace, worshiping the same God! These nations will automatically start to call on God and turn to Him.
Millennium: Joel 2 could not refer to the Millennium as we would need no evangelism then as the whole earth is covered with supernatural knowledge of God and heavenly things. Habakkuk 2:14 King James Bible: For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. During the Millennium, there would be no need for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for service as is given to us in our fallen world, thus no need of dreams, visions or prophesy because we will dwell with the fullness of the knowledge of God in that perfect state.
The intense Glory of God will fill the earth during this era. There will be no need to evangelize during this age, thus no need of dreams, visions or prophesy because the fullness of the knowledge of God will enlighten each human. Peace, love and joy will flood the earth, there will be no killing or death, no eating of animals and likewise animals will not kill.
In the Bible, the wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”
It is evident from the above verse that Joel 2 is not applicable to the Millennium, the era where Satan is bound for a thousand years where the Glory of God is displayed. The Millennium is an age of perfection, peace and purity where God’s Presence and divine knowledge of Him permeates the earth.
The age of the empowerment of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, miracles, signs and wonders are only needed in an imperfect world, thus Joel 2 can only refer to the time span before the Rapture, which is now.
Therefore Joel 2:28-32 speaks of the last revival on Earth before the rapture, not the tribulation or the millennium period because of the events of the tribulation and the millennium never speak of miracles or wonders or an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, nor of dreams and visions or the manifestation of powers in the church to draw unbelievers.
I repeat this verse again, Matthew 24:14 (New International Version (NIV)”
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The last spiritual repentance awakening will involve the whole world.
Matthew 20:16New International Version (NIV) 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” In the last lap, the ones who accept the Lord will also be taken up as the Bride of Christ.
Rita F. Kurian
To be continued…
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