AN IMPORTANT PROPHETIC END TIMES WORD

I have reproduced almost the entire message on the video so you can either read it or watch the video. I had trouble hearing some of Charles message hence I have reproduced it here and made some amendments.

Sid Roth’s guest Charles Catinja grew up in Kenya, Africa and should have died when he had a life threatening seizure disorder. What was this seizure disorder you had? “I was born in early 80s and they said there was some sort of aneurysm in my my brain that would cause oxygen to be deprived and I would collapse from time to time. It went on for like 12 years of my life and they couldn’t figure it out because at the time in Africa there wasn’t access to good medical services so they couldn’t figure out exactly what was going on.”

Some said I wouldn’t live to the age of 20. others told me that if by adventure I make it to 25 I will be unable to process anything in school. So that was my story for the first 12 years of my life.

When you were in Kenya you had visions to move to America. Did other people have visions for you or did you have the vision. Tell me about it. It started when I was eleven. I grew up in a Presbyterian background. They don’t believe in the Holy Spirit as we do. They do not believe in visions. But somehow my hunger and thirst for the Lord, opened up the way to where God met me in ways I cannot understand. He showed me travelling the world and preaching the gospel in foreign lands even before I was actually filled with the Holy Spirit. So there was nobody in my circles who actually saw visions, or heard from the Lord.

So, you didn’t have a mentor? No. Helping you? Nope. I was opened up to the supernatural but I didn’t know people that could explain what was going on. In fact, my preacher at the time, the pastor would preach against the charismatic, like make fun of tongues and visions. And I go home and I ask my mother, “I’m seeing this every day. What does it mean?” She would say, “Go ask your dad.” And my dad was a statesman. I couldn’t ask him anything like that. So, I kept it to my spirit until the Lord opened the door for me to come to America.

But did the vision say move to America? Did the vision say move to North Carolina? Did the vision say move to Charlotte, North Carolina? The Lord told me that I’ll come to the US. I wasn’t aware if I’m coming to preach the gospel. So I came to school at Indiana University and at the time, my mind was to finish my masters in finance and go to Hollywood and make some money and live the life. So in 2008 while my wife and I were dating she was Catholic at the time. I started having visitations. It was August 13th 2008. the heavens opened and the voice said, “You are to move to North Carolina and I’m going to use you there.” So, I’m thinking to myself, my wife is Catholic. They don’t believe in this. I can’t go there. So, I didn’t say anything. Exactly a year later, the same day, same time, it says, “You are to move to North Carolina.” This is 2009. So, I begin to wonder, you know, if you disobey, maybe lightning will smite me. So on the third time in 2010, that’s when I spoke to my wife and she was like, “What took you so long?” So we moved. We moved to North Carolina and we’ve been here since 2011. And why Charlotte? North Carolina’s a big state. So because we didn’t know, we actually thought it was in North Korea. So I told her to Google it, see if there’s a North Carolina in America.” So we found it.

You didn’t even know there was a North Carolina. No, I was fresh from Africa. I just thought America is America. So I didn’t know there was a North Carolina. My mind thought I was going to North Korea. So I told my wife, just get a map, find a place. If there’s a North Carolina, put a finger somewhere and we will go there. And it so happened at the time there was a move of God happening in Morning Star Ministries in Fort Mill. So we said, “Let’s go there. Maybe God will speak to us when we get there.” The first day we walked to the door, a little kid, 5 years old, came and said, “The Lord says you’ll preach before millions of people and you’re here to have an encounter with God.” And that’s how we stayed in Charlotte, North Carolina.

When did you realize you were prophetic rather than just dreams and things like that, that it was God telling you that you didn’t have anyone teaching you that? When did it dawn on you? It began with God showing me what’s going to happen in the future. I was actually 12 years old. I remember succinctly. My dad used to drive a blue car. I remember and they’re over there fixing the car and you know doing things people do on the weekend. And I told my mother to tell dad not to drive out because if he does he will crash outside the house. My mother was like, stop that bad thinking.

How did you know that? You had a thought, a dream. No, I would hear a voice. I would hear a voice. So, because I was alone and because of my sickness, I never had friends or a best friend, I would be alone. I’ll be, you know, praying or talking to the Lord. And he was my only confidant, because when you faint and have these seizures, it’s a stigma to any community. So, you couldn’t have like a friend or someone your close to. So, I turned to the Lord and I would pray the Lord’s prayer. I would just talk to him and He said, tell him not to go. So, of course, my mother didn’t. So, they go out and on the corner he crashes the car. Then I start to investigate, you know, possibly maybe God does speak to me and from then I start ministering to people prophetically. I would counsel people that are 30 years older than me at the time. I was 12, 13 years of age.

You recently had a dream. Yes. About the rapture. Was that unusual? I don’t think I have ever preached a message on the rapture. I’m not a theologian. I am minister. I just follow what the Lord tells me. So, I don’t have any background on pre, post, mid-trip. That’s not my goal in life. It is to empower people now to be able to reveal the kingdom. So, lo and behold, last week on Wednesday, I have a dream and there is a rapture and I know it was a rapture because there was a lot of confusion. The children were gone, the young people were gone and it’s like the entire city. Now, in the dream, could you see yourself or you just saw what was happening? I could see myself and this is why it was Now, I look like I am now? Right here, right now. As as a matter of fact, I was in the building where I’m living right now in Uptown and I could see the confusion all over the world and I’m seeing people looking for their loved ones and it was it was like churches were full. People kept on praising, kept on worshiping God. They didn’t realize they missed the moment of their visitation. So when I woke up, I went to my office and I sat there and I was like this can’t be because the fact that I saw it means maybe I was left behind. So I went to sleep again and the exact same thing happens. And now I’m seeing and it’s about 10% of all the Christians made it to be raptured. I have never heard that as an estimate. That’s one in 10. What in 10? That’s 10 in a hundred. That’s a lot of people left behind. And this isn’t just regular people. These are Christians. That’s what you at least feel that they’re Christians. Churches were full. People kept on preaching. Life was going on. Well, that’s what’s going on right now. Churches are full. But if it’s only 10%. Wow. It says narrow is the way that leads to the Lord and wide is the is the road that leads to destruction. And it bothered me because, you know, of course, as a preacher of the gospel, I want people to go to heaven. I want people to to turn around from their sins and go to heaven. And at the same time I’m asking the Lord where have we missed it because we can’t blame them. It is us who carry the gospel that are able to bring the good news of the gospel. And in my heart I knew that most of us are seeking the Lord. We are encountering God for this life. Paul says it this way in 1 Corinthians 15. He says that if your faith is is for things temporary, you are to be pitied above all men. Wow. We are to add on a I want to say a piece of eternity you know whereby you’re looking not to things temporary because in this life there will be sickness there will be disease there will be distractions but our faith is not to make a comfortable life in this dimension but in spite of what we’re going through to be able to understand we have an investment in time in health in money that God is wanting us to use that to illuminate the world that there is another kingdom. Stewardship we have a stewardship of whatever it is that God has given us. Absolutely. And but the degree we follow God is us. Yes. And you remember in in Matthew it talks about the talents. Yes. There’s one, there’s three, there is five. And towards the end it says about the one who never used what God gave them, he was cast out into utter darkness. It wasn’t their lack of belief. It wasn’t their lack of confession. It was that whatever the lord invested in their life was not used for what was intended. The lord is a good steward. He has given each of us like a length of days. You know you realize some people lose their lives at 50 others at 60 others at 100. And time is an investment. The level of education you have is an investment. Your health is an investment. And all of these things ought to be there to draw you, that you can become an epitome of the glory of God to other people. Not faith geared to amassing things for this dimension. So many including me for a while. Yeah. Have understood faith because it’s in the word of God. Yes. Sowing and reaping etc. But we’ve many of us have understood this truth with a selfish agenda. That’s right. And you know in the kingdom I want to share this and I want to say it so emphatically because it is it is important. This is what changed my life. You know, I’ve been healed now of the seizure disease for 32 years. I’ve never been to a doctor. I have been healthy all these years. But what is most important? I’m thankful. I’m thankful that I I don’t have anything wrong with my body. However, even though bodies will experience healing, those bodies will be left here. The miracle for a house, the miracle for finances, those things are here. What you take with you is what you invest in someone else that changes their life for the glory of God.

What do you mean by invest in someone else? Matthew tells us, Jesus speaking says, “Use me to make friends for yourself in eternity.” When you use your money to spread the gospel, your money to change people’s lives, not necessarily what I believe God got for myself, but what God used me to be able to illuminate somebody else that they sought the kingdom. That’s the purpose of the blessing. Now look at for example Abraham was blessed in wealth, goats and all that stuff and camels. But what we have is an inheritance from our forefather of faith is not material but it is the gift of faith to believe in God of our forefathers. So what the Lord has given us in whatever capacity is that you may use your position that through you someone else can know that Jesus the Messiah is not dead but he is alive. That is your only true investment.

What is God showing you? What is the Holy Spirit doing new on earth? This is June. It was June, the beginning of June. We had a healing service in our church and I’ve been preaching and praying and fasting for many months waiting for the Lord to move. And at 3:30 in the morning, you know, whether someone believes me this or not, it’s okay. Jesus Christ came to my house. And all my life, Sid, I’ve taught faith as the fundamental primary way to get miracles from God. And a lot of times when a miracle doesn’t happen, you measure someone’s ability to receive by the amount of faith they have. And sometimes its like you don’t have enough faith, you haven’t received. And the Lord came and he says, I want to show you what will be the catalyst or the greater glory that is coming. And it begins in Exodus 34 when Moses said, “If I have grace in your sight that you may show me your glory, and he said, you want to see in the book of John, we see the woman with the issue of blood.” You know, she said, “If only I can touch the end of his garment, I shall be made whole.” That’s what the church has been where we use the faith, have to reach out to God and God will touch our lives. However, there are thousands if not millions of people who now are ailing in the body and they think they have failed. It’s not working and you wonder, can God do something for me? And he said to me, I want to show sovereign manifestation of God’s mercy. God’s mercy. And he says, you find that in Matthew 17, when the man took his son to the disciples, nothing happened. They prayed, the healing still didn’t come. And Jesus came and the man said, “Help my unbelief.” a manifestation of God’s mercy will be the catalyst of the greatest miracle working power of God we’ve ever seen because faith can be weak faith can be frail it can be up and down but when we put our trust in God and in a way surrender ourself to his sovereignty even those areas of our lives where we are unable to believe God for, he will show us his glory and you see he told Moses that you know my name is the Lord, the Lord is gracious and merciful. And out of that place, it is the first time we see Moses bowing his head and worshiping the Lord. God is revealing. And I just want to speak to someone. You’re listening to me right now. And there is no shortage of ministry in your life. You’ve been prayed over over and over again. And the miracle hasn’t manifested yet. And daily you do a self diagnosis if really it’s you’re the reason why God is not moving. He wants you to reach out and say, “Lord, help my unbelief because in his mercy, he will do what your faith is unable to accrue.” And I just want to pray right now, you’d be broken. You’d be loosed from that bondage of feeling you’re inadequate because in our weakness, the strength of God is made perfect in Jesus name. at this moment. Yes.

What is burning in your heart to tell our people? There are two things. There are two things. First of all, I remember a few years ago we we came here and we prophesied about the exposure of sin that were happening in the church that God was going to put his finger on. The devil has hijacked that ministry and begun to be in a sense the Holy Ghost police going around trying to bring out dirt in the name of ministering to God. There the Lord spoke to me. He says there is no ministry of discernment in the Bible where somebody takes responsibility to be able to master the sin of other people. I had the same thought that you’re saying right now just this morning when when I was praying. Absolutely. I totally believe that. And and the thing is like the world we are carriers of good news. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. And what the enemy has done is trying to bring a ministry founded on works. And even if somebody found like mistakes in someone’s life, the grace of God is sufficient for those of us who live a repentant life. You know, it is never about works because works have a deadline. His grace daily it says it is fresh every morning. Lamentation will say his loving kindness is new every morning. If I’m judging you by something you did yesterday, how do I know you haven’t encountered his grace this morning and you’ve been renewed in faith? So it goes both ways. for those that are struggling in sin and those of us who are being persecuted for nothing. His mercy and his grace is new every morning. And I want to speak to you guys that are listening today and you are consuming this material on a daily daily basis. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by. Whatever you’re consuming will become your manifestation. If you think that God is about sin and condemnation, that’s what you’re feeding every day. Your faith will be wanting because we are to be reading the unadulterated word of God every day. The Bible says that our commandment really nobody has if you want to live a life of success, a life of uh power, a life of miracles. Joshua 1:8 that this word of the Lord you shall meditate on it day and night. You don’t have time on rabbit trails and things that are are second and third opinions in this hour when God is doing what he’s doing. He’s wanting you to be filled with his word, filled with the spirit that you can be able to be in season and out of season, ready to share the word of God with anyone in Jesus name.

I have to ask you some very key questions now. What do you see for Israel in 2026? It’s very important. This is what I saw about about three weeks ago. It’s about about three or four weeks ago. I wrote an article and and and the Lord spoke to me. He says, “America will betray Israel and Israel will stand alone.” And I’m asking the Lord, you know, but we at the time we’re seeing the support. We’re seeing American government going and helping Israel and all that. And then the Lord says that uh Psalms 121 has to be fulfilled where when they look up to the hills there is nowhere else that help will come from except from the Lord. And it has to be that way that the latter move of the Holy Ghost may come. Now the important part for you uh for us American to understand is that we don’t support Israel because they do things right. We don’t support them because they are they are doing what we expect them to do. We are under covenant with God that if we would desire to see a move of God that will come and bring millions of people to the kingdom of darkness, you have to give them light. You have to be found believing what the Lord says. And he says, “Blessed are they that pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” You know, so I I began to see that and he says he says even Trump, even President Trump will betray Israel. Not very long from today. Well, I have to stop you. As far as I’m concerned, he just recently did something that was way beneath the standards of the president. He had a peace settlement with Iran. And do you know how Netanyahu found our best friend in the Middle East found out about it? The newspaper. He didn’t even have the decency to call him. Now, I’m a big Trump fan. I want you to know that he’s done the most marvellous things in America. But there is an Achilles heel that’s being revealed. And that’s what you’re talking about. And I wasn’t aware of this actually. I don’t follow any news. This is from the prayer closet. The Lord says Trump and America will betray Israel. And I’m just pleading with the viewers and those of you that really honour the word of God. The Bible says, “Let the word of God be true and it remain a liar that we stand because the end result even though it’s a fulfilment of the end times, the enemy wants us to lose our reward of the greater glory because it doesn’t happen without Israel. The greater glory doesn’t happen if the Gentiles break off from the vine. we are they’re trying to bring all the immoralities and things that have happened to our forefront that we can know them in the flesh. Paul said this, know no man in the flesh. And it is important we remember that we live by faith. We support them because we see it is important for there to be the Jew and then Gentile for there to be the greater glory that will bring millions of people o the kingdom of God. So I implore you that are listening, don’t just judge things by hearing, but by the Lord. Judge righteously following what the Lord is saying that we can be able to amass what God is doing in this hour.

Despite the negative things going on in reference to America and Israel that we’ve just discussed, despite that, do you see God sending revival to America? Even with that, well, God does not, I always used to say the Lord doesn’t reveal things to us just because we need to know. There is always a remnant and the hope and the future of any generation always lies in a remnant. And I know there are people that are waking up right now, hearing this word and beginning to dig in and praying that the peace of Jerusalem will not be interrupted so that we can partake because it is important. We remember this. There is no greater glory without Israel. And it is you that is hearing and you’ve had dreams. I see a man that you have a church. You’ve been hearing dreams about your participation in praying for the peace of Jerusalem. God is giving you a commission. and you’re part of that remnant that God will use to pray for there to be a a a group of people, a remnant that will stand with God that we can be the conduit of the glory of God in America. Now, I’ll say this, and I said this before, you know, before now in 2029, there’s going to be a clear divide. Now, it’s already began to show between light and darkness, but there will be those that will be hot for the kingdom and those that will be cold. and it will be so stark unlike anything that we’ve ever seen before. And it is the heart generation that will be able to bring glory that they can begin to see that Jesus is not dead, but he is alive. So there is hope for America if those that have ears to hear will hear what God is saying to the churches. And what about Israel? Will Israel survive with so many countries hating them? I mean, like, you know, I was just talking to my wife the other day. If you look at history, you know, things even before 1948, if you look at the life of David, of Saul and the kings that supposedly followed their lives, they’ve always come to the brink of destruction. But because the word of God is as it is eternal, the Lord will always bring them back to life. The dead bones will come back to life. And I will say this, and it sounds like far-fetched, it sounds like flattery, but I saw it was about 3 months ago. We were fasting in our church and I saw people marching in Israel saying blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord and there was so many so many Christians born again, Jewish people in Israel that they were marching around calling Yeshua on the streets of Israel because when the world has turn away from them they will see him crucified and revelation will come to their lives. So it’s coming and it will be in our life between now and 2029. You know the question I asked you. Yes. Scripture is so clear. Psalm 105:8-11 talks about God has given to the Jewish people the land of Israel a covenant and they use three adjectives in that forever. I don’t think forever. I think we understand that. But just in case we don’t, he then says in that psalm everlasting forever and everlasting with Israel and then in case you don’t know forever and everlasting he then says for a thousand generations that a thousand generations this covenant is made to the Jewish people in Israel. So Israel will survive. It might be by the skin of their teeth, but Israel will survive. I’m not too sure about America. What about you? Are you sure about America from God? I am awful because the Lord called us here. Oh, I know that. But I don’t see anything like that for America in the Bible. That so, it’s up to us. Yes, it’s reliant on the remnant. And this is why God brings the words like he does. He says he never does anything without revealing his agenda to his servants, the prophets. And so that people can hear the word and repent and begin to to turn their way that he can heal the land. This is 1 Chronicles 7:14. So I believe and I’m making this appeal to everyone that is listening today. You know, ask the Lord what your portion is in regard to Israel because that’s the secret of healing in your own family. You know, whatever you do to the Jews, whatever you do to them, the least of these, you have done it unto me, it is an opportunity, a clarion call for everyone that is listening that hasn’t yet to hear that ask God, what is your part to play? Because for the longest, you know, ministry has been about, accruing the blessings of healing, prosperity, whatever else that God has has made available. But it is the full picture of Messiah is him and his brethren, you know, we being grafted in. When that revelation becomes worldwide, that’s when the fullness of the glory of God will come. And I believe that the Lord is a awakening people today to begin to participate in praying, not just talk, in praying and fasting that the Lord’s will, will be done that God can have mercy on us here in America as well.

I want you to look in the camera and pray for the viewers right now. Yes. But even before you do that, has God shown you anything about the next move of God’s spirit in America and the world? I mean, I was so fortunate and I’m thankful. I’m thankful for the visions. I’m thankful for the dreams. I’m thankful for what God speaks to my spirit because you know it is not because I’m any more anointed than anyone and you know the error, you know the the beginning point of this exposures and failures that we just went through it was so that God can turn the eyes of the people to himself. It was never about sin or transgression is that we can realize that God is jealous for his people. So you’re going to begin to see, especially coming in tne next year and the year after, you’re going to begin to see embers of the fire of the Holy Ghost burning in small places, small churches, small gatherings, living out the large churches, not because they’re doing anything wrong, but I saw little embers of the Holy Ghost beginning to burn in prayer meetings, in house meetings, in small congregations because the Lord wants to reveal himself as one who has fellowship with his people. And what I believe he is going to do is there’s a grace that is being released right now from from the Holy Ghost, a grace to pray and fast. Especially in America, it is not known widely for people to pray and fast. But I feel like God is saying that there is going to be those that will travail to birth this little embers of the Holy Ghost that will be fanned to come like the way it was with Duncan Campbell in the island of Louiswise. You know, a people from the down are birthing the move of the Holy Ghost. It is no longer from the stage to the congregation. It will be from the pews to the stage. And this is going to start taking place actually this coming year. You begin to see God moving in the congregations and touching people with salvation and all that in Jesus name. Unlock the supernatural power of faith with this exclusive victory through the blood of Jesus by Charles Catinja. This powerful 3D digital audio download offers profound teachings, inspiring testimonies, and astounding prayers to help you harness the healing power of God of of the blood of Jesus in your life. Go to sidroth.org1071D. prayer right now before something even more important. The most important prayer is are you part of the 10% remnant that Charles spoke about or do you want to be? Whether you if there’s any doubt, say this prayer with me and believe it to the best of your ability. Start reading the Bible and start doing what it says.

144,000 JEWS SEALED FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

Who are the 144,000 sealed Jews in Revelation 7, after the sixth seal and the celestial disturbances and prior to The Rapture at the seventh seal? Immediately after they are sealed, John sees the raptured multitude in heaven standing before the throne of God crying out “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

We are told Jesus comes on the clouds and is seen by all tribes including the Jews who mourn. “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” Revelation 1:7

In Revelation 14; we see the 114,000 are with Jesus in heaven singing before the throne. Are they the first fruits of the Rapture?

“They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth… These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb.” Revelation 14:3-4

You will need to go to YouTube (click on it) to watch the video.

ELOQUENT TEACHING ON TIMING OF THE RAPTURE

Another excellent video from Nelson Walters on the timing of The Rapture (Matthew 24:30-31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

It is important we understand that Christians will experience tribulation and even great tribulation during the last seven years (70th week of Daniel) before Jesus returns to earth to liberate Israel at the Battle of Armageddon.

Before you watch Nelson’s video let me share this revelation: the Holy Spirit revealed to me another gem on the timing of The Rapture just two days ago. I was reading Revelation Chapter 8 on the opening of the seventh seal.

Already, I had accepted from the work Nelson Walters has done, that The Rapture takes place at the trumpet blast at the seventh seal.

SUMMARY: At the fifth seal, Revelation 6:9, John sees the souls of martyrs under the altar. They are crying out, asking when was God going to judge and avenge them. Then, they were asked to rest a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brethren who would be killed as they were was completed. They were also given white robes, but at this stage the resurrection of the saints has not occurred so are unable to wear them.

At the end of the chapter on the opening of the sixth seal, Revelation 6:17 we read “For the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand. God is about to pour out His wrath upon the earth. It is time for the saints to be raptured as both Jesus and Paul said, the saints will not experience God’s wrath.

Next in Revelation 7:9, John sees “behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues standing before the throne and the lamb clothed with white robes and palm trees in their hands.” Note they are no longer souls but have bodies and are wearing the white robes (The Rapture has occurred) and no longer complaining but crying out with a loud voice saying “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.”

Now what was the gem I observed that confirms The Rapture has occurs at the opening of the seventh seal?

In Revelation 8: at the opening of the seventh seal: “Then another angel having a golden censer (contains the prayers of all the saints) … and he was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” Revelation 8:3. Once the prayers of all the saints ascended before God, what does the angel do with the censer which held the prayers of the saints? “He filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there was noises and thunderings, lightnings and an earthquake” Then, the wrath of God began to be poured out on the earth with the trumpet and bowl judgements.

The Holy Spirit revelation for me was that the golden censer was no longer needed for the prayers of the saints as the prayers of all the saints had been offered up. They were now raptured, the censer could be thrown to the earth filled with fire to initiate the wrath of God being poured out. 

The following email from Nelson Walters was confirmation and an encouragement.

Nelson Walters <nelson@thegospelintheendtimes.com> wrote:

Ron,  Brother, it is good to hear from you.

First, your observation about the censor is brilliant. YES, another proof. Holy Spirit stuff.

Second, glad your considering a voice over on the PPS (sermons for the end times church), which can be muted or played as desired. I use a Blue Yeti plug-in microphone which is easy to use. Cost about $100 or so, but super easy and high quality.

Nelson

ALL THESES ARE THE BEGINNING OF BIRTH PANGS NOT THE DAY OF THE LORD

Alan Kurschner of Eschatos Ministries does a creditable job to explain that Matthew 24:8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:3 do not explain the same events, which provides support for the PreWrath Rapture position: the Rapture occurs after the tribulation and great tribulation but before the wrath of God is poured out at the Trumpet and Vial judgements.

“Pretribulational proponents believe that the beginning of birth pangs that Jesus mentions in his Olivet Discourse refer to when the day of the Lord’s wrath begins and typically place it at the beginning of the seven-year period.

In an attempt to make the “beginning of birth pangs” in Matthew 24:8 describe the day of the Lord’s wrath, pretribulationists assert that this is parallel with Paul’s usage of “labour pains” in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, which clearly refers to the beginning of God’s wrath. However, it is obvious the respective contexts show that Jesus and Paul are not describing the same event, but actually very different events. The metaphor “birth pangs” is not a technical phrase to denote the day of the Lord as some wrongly claim. Context must determine the application of the usage of the common metaphor of birth pangs.

Let’s compare both verses:

“And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of birth pangs.” (Matt 24:8)

“For you yourselves know perfectly that THE DAY OF THE LORD so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3

There are six differences that demonstrate that Jesus and Paul are using it for two separate and distinct periods.

1. Jesus’ usage in Matthew 24 describes events before the great tribulation; Paul’s usage is found at the inception of the day of the Lord. Jesus uses the birthing metaphor to warn that the end has not arrived (“Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. . . All these things are the beginning of birth pains”). Paul uses it to announce that the end has arrived (“then sudden destruction comes on them, like labour pains,” cf. Isaiah 13:7–8).

2. Accordingly, Jesus emphasises the tolerable stage of “the beginning of birth pains” (Matt 24:8); hence, the reason he reassures, “Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matt 24:6). In contrast, Paul is drawing from Isaiah’s labour imagery focused on the intolerable stage of actual giving birth, “cramps and pain seize hold of them like those of a woman who is straining to give birth” (Isaiah 13:8).

3. Jesus teaches that the “beginning of birth pangs” is what Christians are destined to experience (Matt 24:4–8); Paul teaches just the opposite that Christians are promised exemption from the hard labour pains, the time of God’s wrath (1 Thess. 5:9).

4. The labour pains in Matthew 24 refer to natural events such as false christs, wars, famines, and earthquakes (Matt. 24:5–8). Paul’s reference is to the supernatural event of the day of the Lord (2 Thess. 1:5–8).

5. Jesus’ usage of the beginning of birth pangs occurs before the celestial disturbance happens (Matt. 24:8–29). But in the Isaiah passage that Paul is drawing from associates the birth pangs of the onset of the day of the Lord with the celestial disturbance (Isaiah 13: 8–10).

6. Jesus uses the birthing metaphor to apply to both unbelievers and believers (Matt 24:5–8). While Paul uses it exclusively applied to unbelievers (1 Thess. 5:3–4).

The interpreter must be careful not to fall into the similarity equals identity fallacy. Context is key.”

HAVE CHRISTIANS BEEN MISLED ABOUT SECOND COMING OF JESUS?

Great to see that Dr Michael Brown has realised that Scripture does not support a Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

Without a doubt, the New Testament proclaims that Jesus will return to earth and establish His Kingdom. And without a doubt, the New Testament calls us to live with readiness and expectation. We can all agree on that.

But does the New Testament teach that, for true believers, Jesus will come suddenly, like a thief in the night, without any signs? Or, to the contrary, does it teach that His coming will not be like a thief in the night for godly believers, since we are awake and alert, fully aware of the signs of the times?

“To be clear, I don’t doubt for a moment that we’re living in prophetic times”, said Dr Brown

The gospel is spreading all over the world in unprecedented fashion, just as the Scriptures predicted.

Out of the ashes of the Holocaust, Israel has been re-birthed, and Jerusalem remains at the centre of world attention, again, in accordance with the prophets’ words.

And around the globe, Christians are being brutally persecuted for their faith, mowed down by the hundreds and thousands. This too is in harmony with Scripture, which speak of the last days as times of great blessing and great upheaval, of great light and great darkness, or great victory and great conflict. Jesus promised that Christians would not experience the wrath of God but Scripture shows us that in the end times, God’s wrath is poured out at the Trumpet and Bowl Judgements. The Rapture occurs after the sixth seal. John saw the great multitude that no one could number of believers before the throne clothed in white robes (resurrected bodies) and waving palm branches just prior to the seventh seal being opened and the trumpet judgements commencing.

Despite the popular theology of our day, Christians should not expect to get out of experiencing the tribulation or the end times. Nowhere in the Bible does the Lord promise us this, say Michael Brown and Craig Keener, two leading, acclaimed Bible scholars. In fact, they say, Jesus promises us tribulation in this world.

Yet this is no reason to fear. In this fascinating, accessible, and personal book, Brown and Keener walk you through what the Bible really says about the rapture, the tribulation, and the end times. What they find will leave you full of hope. God’s wrath is not poured out on His people, and He will shield us from it–as he shielded Israel in Egypt during the ten plagues. So instead of taking comfort in what God hasn’t promised, take comfort in the words of Jesus: He has overcome the world, and we live in his victory.

RAPTURE TIMING: IS IT IMPORTANT?

The Church is at war with itself over Rapture timing. It’s a Rapture Civil War. What are the motivations of the two groups, and what is a solution to this war?

The Blessed Hope is the return of Jesus – it’s our only HOPE.  But, some Christians refer to a “theory” about that return as the Blessed Hope. And in so doing, are they making “the Blessed Hope” Idolatry?

Many Christians are trusting in man-made theories to protect them rather than in Jesus himself. They are making assumptions about when certain things will happen and choosing to prepare – or not to prepare – for the end times based solely on these theories.

Nelson presents a truly balanced approach on how the church should approach the end times and where to put our hope.

Watch this video to discover why it is important to prepare for the end times regardless of what Rapture theory you believe.