The Beginning of Sorrows

8/14/2019 The Beginning of Sorrows

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The Beginning of SorrowsMany believe we are now living in the last of the

last days. What does the Bible say about world

conditions in the latter days? Before answering that

question, lets look at what the scriptures have to

say about the condition of humanity in those days.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-7 we are given a description of

what the human race will be like in the latter days.

There is little doubt that the time period describedin 2 Timothy, mirrors the society we are currently

living in.

In the latter days, men are prophesied to be: Selfish,

covetous, boastful, proud, blasphemous, disobedient

to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural

affection, truce breakers, false accusers, lacking in

self- control, fierce, Despisers of those that are

good, traitors, full of themselves/conceited, lovers

of pleasures more than lovers of God.

That is quite a list of negative attributes, and though

it may have shocked the people of Timothys day, it

is neither shocking nor unbelievable to those of us

living today. The description leaves little doubt thatwe are living in the perilous times described by the

apostle Paul to Timothy.

Now, concerning what the Bible has to say about

world conditions in the latter days, in Matthew

chapter 24, Jesus described events he called the

Beginning of Sorrows.


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Before going on, it is necessary to understand that

when Christ used the word sorrows, he was not

referring to hard times that will make us sad. Theword he used means labor pains orbirth pangs.

The events he describes as the Beginning of

Sorrows are birth pangs that are designed to result

in a birth. The question is the birth of what?

At present the whole creation groans and travails inpain together until now for the redemption of our

bodies at the resurrection of the dead and rapture of

the church (Romans 8:22-23).

But are we already in theBeginningof Sorrows?

Perhaps not, because after the resurrection of the

dead and the rapture of the living takes place, Israel(the woman depicted in Revelation 12:1) is shown

to be in travailshe gives birth to the *man-child

and, after that, the redemption of all Israel comes to

pass. That event is repeatedly referred to, in

scripture, as a birth (Isaiah 66:8-9, Romans 11:26-27, Revelation

12:1-5, 14:1-5).

*This writer is in agreement with those who identify thebirth of the man-child as the redemption of the 144,000

rather than the birth of Jesus Christ. There are no

flashbacks in the [book of] Revelation (Revelation 1:1, 3, 7:1-

8, 14:1-5).

Why did Jesus use birth pangs as an example?

Because they accurately describe how we can

expect the events He is describing to progress.

Labor pains generally start small and come rather


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far apart. As the labor progresses, the pains increase

in both intensity and frequency. Just before the birth

occurs, the pains become very intense and arealmost non-stop.

The events Jesus describes in Matthew 24 are as

follows: Wars and rumors of wars, diseases and

earthquakes in many different places. These align

perfectly with events described in the 6th chapter of

The Revelation (which takes place afterthe Body ofChrist is redeemed from the earth).

There is no argument that we have been

experiencing these things on earth for quite some

time now, and the frequency and intensity of these

things has been increasing.

Jesus said the generation that saw the beginning ofthese birth pangs would not pass away until the

birth takes place.

The whole creation is groaning and travailing even

now for the redemption of our bodies. After that

happens, the beginning of sorrows will begin in

earnest and will continue to escalate in bothfrequency and intensity until everything that has

been prophesied, concerning the redemption of

Israel has literally come to pass (Romans 11:26, Isaiah 66:8)

This is an excerpt from the book Redemption: Bible

Prophecy Simplified by Jocelyn Andersen available

FREE for Download at

www.Lulu.com/JocelynAndersen***
http://www.lulu.com/JocelynAndersenhttp://www.lulu.com/JocelynAndersen


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Why Cant I Find The Word

Rapture In The Bible?Many are being led into serious error, evenapostasy, because of doctrinal difficulties having to

do with Biblical Prophecy.

One very serious issue among Christians concerns

the use of the word rapture and the doctrinal

claims made by those who oppose it.

Some theorists who oppose the use of the word

refer to the W.E. Vines Expository of New Testament

Words as an authority to claim the word rapture

has no rightful place in New Testament vocabulary.

Below are 2 reasons the Vines should not be used as

an authority in this case:

1. The Vines commentary is not

comprehensive. It does not contain all of thewords used in the New Testament.

2. The word rapture is found in Latin

translationsnot Greek Translations. The

Vines Expository does not deal with Latin

Translations.

Therefore, using the Vines as an authority on the

subject is very misleading to those unfamiliar withthe limited scope of the work.

Some rightfully maintain the Greek Word, harpazo,

translated, caughtup, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 has a

very forceful connotation and can also be accurately

translated, caught,snatched or seized. The problem

presents itself when they go from there to attack the

use of the word up being used in connection with


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the word caught(forming the phrasecaught up) as

an inaccurate translation of the word harpazo.

In scripture, we see the Greek word, harpazo, used

in other applications having nothing whatsoever to

do with being caught up or snatched up. But is that

proof it was translated erroneously in 1

Thessalonians 4:17? Is that reasoning logical

considering the end result, which finds those who

have been snatched or caughtupin the air

with Christ, after the event occurs?

The translators of the King James Bible were

responsibly looking at the entire context and were in

no way misleading anyone when the decision was

made to translate the Greek word, harpazo, as

caught up.

In looking at other passages in which the wordharpazo was used, the end location of those who

were seized or snatched was not necessarily up

and the seizing or snatching was not necessarily a

good thing. So we know the word, harpazo, by

itself, has no connotation of good, evil, or of

direction (up, down, east, west etc.). The context of

the passage must determine both the purpose and

the direction of the catching, snatching or seizing

(Acts 8:39, 23:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

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CONTRASTS BETWEEN THERAPTURE AND THE 2ND COMINGBelow is a list of contrasts between the time Christreturns in the airfor his saints and the time he

physically returns to the earth with his saints:

1. Before the rapture, whoever calls on God

through the name of his resurrected son shall

be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13). / After the rapture,

only he who endures to the end shall be

saved (Matthew 24:13).2. Before the rapture, the criteria for salvation

is faith alonenot works (Ephesians 2:8). / After

the 2nd Coming of Christ, one of the criteria

of judgment for entering His Kingdom will

be works (Matthew 25:31-46).

3.Before the rapture, no one knows the day orthe hour the son of man will come (Matthew

24:36, 42). / After the rapture, the days can be

counted (Daniel 12:11).

4. At the rapture, Jesus will be coming out of

Heavenforhis saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). / At

the 2nd Coming, Jesus will be coming out of

Heaven with his saints (Zechariah 14:4, 1Thessalonians 3:13).

5. Before the rapture, we are looking for a

sudden, imminent appearance (Hebrews 10:37). /

After the rapture, the days to Christs

appearance can be counted. Christs

appearance will end The Great Tribulation

(Daniel 12:11).


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6. At the rapture, the Archangel will blow the

trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16). / At the 2nd

Coming, God (Jesus) himself will blow thetrumpet (Zechariah 9, Isaiah 27:13, Matthew 24:31).

7. At the rapture, the trumpet signals the

resurrection of the dead and changing of the

living. No angelic gathering is mentioned

(1Cor15:52). / At the 2nd Coming, the trumpet

precedes an angelic gatheringno

resurrection of the dead or changing of theliving is mentioned (Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:26-27).

8. At the rapture, those resurrected and caught

out will be changed and become as the

angels (Matthew 22:30). / At the 2nd Coming,

survivors of the Great Tribulation will first

be judged at the Judgment of the Nations.

They will then enter Christs Kingdom intheir mortal, physical, condition. During the

first 1000 years of Christs Kingdom, some

will marry and give birth. Some will even

die (Isaiah 65:20-23).9. At the rapture, Christ is coming for all who

belong to himthose in Christ (1 Thessalonians

4:16-17). / At the 2nd Coming, Christ is coming

as deliverer only to those who are looking

for him (Matthew 24:44-51).

10. At his first coming, Christ came to

reconcile. The resurrection and catching up

are included in that reconciliation (Colossians

1:20). / At his 2nd Coming, Christ is coming

not to reconcile but to subdue (Philippians 3:21).


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11. When Jesus comes in the air at the rapture,

there will be only raised and changed bodies

(1Thessalonians 4:16-17). / At His 2nd

Coming, therewill be dead bodies (Luke 17:37, Revelation 19:21).

These contrasts present great doctrinal difficulties

for those who do not differentiate between Christs

coming in the airforhis saints and his coming back

to earth with his saints. When it is understood that

these are two completely separate events,

contradictions disappear (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Jude: 14).

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The Beginning of Sorrows