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­Today's Prophecy Update will be part five in a study of the pre­tribulation rapture, and why it must happen before the seven year tribulation. ­The "seven" reasons "why" the rapture of the church of Jesus Christ has to happen before the "seven" year tribulation begins are as follows:

R EVELATION TO US

A FFECT UPON US

P URITY OF US

T RUMPETS FOR US

U NIFORMITY WITH US

R ESPONSIBILITY ON US

E NCOURAGEMENT FROM US

­Today we'll see the fifth reason in our seven letter acronym. The rapture must happen before the tribulation because of the Uniformity with us.

­Before we begin, I would like to share with you, by way of reminder, why it is that we're going through this mini­series of sorts on the rapture. ­In the introduction to this study of the pre­tribulation rapture, I stated that my intentions were not to convince, or argue, people into believing this. ­Rather, the reason for teaching on the pre­tribulation rapture, was chiefly to equip you so as to know "why" you believe, "what" you believe.

­Posts on Facebook confirmed this; "I've always believed in the Pre­Trib Rapture and now I can explain it to anyone who does not understand it."

Another post read; "Thank you for presenting your rapture series at this time. I needed to reassure myself that what I believed thirty years ago, was still sound. I have noticed an increasing number of believers who aggressively contest a pre­tribulation rapture. All they seem to do is destroy other Christians peace and blessing. God deliver us from doing that to each other. I have been setting my house in order, seeking Jesus daily, sticking to Him like glue and I am ready to go!! Come quickly Lord Jesus!"

­The most exciting Facebook post came from a mom who was so thankful because her 10 year old came to Christ as a result of the teaching.

"I want to thank you for your videos. My 10 yr old daughter has found Christ after watching your videos and discussing the rapture. Thank you so much for making me and my family hungry for God's word again and excitement for him."

­Suffice it to say, I posses neither the time nor the mood to argue with anyone about the doctrine of the Pre­Tribulation rapture. I say this in love! ­Furthermore, I have no interest whatsoever in endless arguments regarding the "Pre­Wrath Theory," as it will soon be debunked, at the rapture. ­That being said, let's look at our fifth answer to why the rapture must happen before the seven year tribulation, by seeing the uniformity with us.

­I'll proceed with the presupposition that you understand Biblical typology as painting prophetic pictures, on the canvass of the Holy scriptures. ­In other words, the Old Testament conceals that which the New Testament reveals in how everything was a "type" of the person of Jesus Christ. ­It's for this reason, the Old Testament contains typology, in that it foretells the coming of the Messiah, Who would be the Savior of the world.

­With that understanding, let's look at the uniformity of men and women in the Old Testament, and how they fit as a type of Israel and the church. ­To do this, we'll start with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel is a type of the church, and the three Hebrews a type of Israel. ­Together they clearly foretell a pre­tribulation rapture. At the risk of sounding a little bit dorky, Daniel was a pre­furnace believer! Consider this:

DANIEL–SHADRACH, MESHACH & ABEDNEGO

THE CHURCH AND THE JEWS

It took place in Ancient Babylon

It's believed that it may take place in a rebuilt Babylon located in Iraq

King Nebuchadnezzar makes an image

The anti­Christ will make an image

The measurements are 6 cubits high by 6 cubits wide with 6 instruments listed

The number of the name of the man is to be counted it will add up to “666”

The 6 instruments were played, then they were to worship the image

Lucifer, known as the angel of music; has always demanded that he be worshipped

All rulers of every nation were united together in one religion

All the nations of the world will unite together in a new­world order

Three Jews refuse to worship the image of gold

The Jews will reject the worship of the image of the anti­Christ

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went into the fiery furnace

Israel will go into the fiery hot tribulation

The furnace is turned up to 7 times hotter

The tribulation lasts up to 7 years

An angel like the Son of God saves them in the midst of the fire

Jesus, the Son of God, will save Israel in the midst of the tribulation

After rejecting the false worship, they see their true and living God

After rejecting the worship of the anti­Christ, they accept the true and living Christ, Jesus their Messiah

Right before all of this, Daniel was placed up in a high position by the King

Right before all of this happens, we will be caught up to our high position with our King

Daniel was lavished with many gifts

We're lavished with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and of eternal life

Daniel ruled and reigned over the entire province

We will rule and reign with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

Daniel remained in the royal court

We remain in His royal court as His bride

­Just as Daniel was pre­furnace, so too was Enoch pre­flood. Enoch a type of the church, and Noah with his family, a type of the Jews.

ENOCH AND NOAH

THE CHURCH AND THE JEWS

The wickedness of man was great on the earth (Genesis 6:5)

We are in a time of great wickedness on the earth

Only a few people were following God’s ways

The gate is narrow and very few people are walking with the Lord

God warned His people (Genesis 6:13)

God has been and is even now warning His people

They don’t believe that judgment was going to come upon them

They don’t believe that the tribulation is coming upon them (Matthew 24:39)

They would not repent though God gave them time Genesis 6:3, 11,12)

God is seemingly slow in His coming because He is giving man time to repent (1 Peter 3:20)

There was no great revival (Genesis 6:11,12)

There is no great revival prior to the rapture

They went about their business as usual eating drinking and marrying

People are going about business as usual eating drinking and marrying (Matthew 24:38)

God set an exact day and time­FOR YET SEVEN DAYS (Genesis 7:4)

God has set an exact day and time ­YET FOR SEVEN YEARS there will be tribulation

Noah and his family go into the ark and through the great flood (Genesis 7)

The Jews will go into and through the great tribulation

Right before this, Enoch walked with the Lord then he was no more, God raptured him out before the "yet seven days." (Genesis 5:24)

Right before the tribulation, we who walk with the Lord won’t be here; God will rapture us out before the "yet seven years."

­Replete throughout the pages of Holy Writ we find this typology pointing to us, as His bride, being raptured before the seven year tribulation. ­We see it with Joseph, who's a type of Jesus Christ, taking a gentile bride to himself, prior to the seven year famine in Egypt, a type of the world. ­We also see it with Abraham, a type of the Father, Isaac, a type of Christ, Eliezer, a type of the Holy Spirit, and Rebekah, a type of the church.

­In addition to this, you have Ruth and Boaz. Ruth, a gentile is a type of the church, and Boaz, the kinsman redeemer is a picture of Jesus Christ. ­Naomi, is a type of Israel, so beautifully pictured when Ruth tells her that; "thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God." (Ruth 1:16) ­This is why she catches the eye of Boaz, who takes her as his gentile bride, and she would never taste of any tribulation that came upon them.

­I'll bring this to an end the way I began and in so doing explain the strength and the length of my intolerance towards those with opposing views. ­Try as they may, they will never move me in any way to believe that Daniel's 70th week is a "midweek," or the 7 year famine was for 3 1/2 years. ­There's no way that anyone, I don't care who they are, will ever convince me that the furnace was turned up 3 1/2 or pre­wrath hotter for Daniel.