Question #1:
Hi Bob,
I'm curious. If you thought the Trib could come by early October, which
corresponds to today's celebration of Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles which
celebrates Christ's dwelling with us, why would that be a possible start date
for the Trib? That seems contradictory to Satan taking over the world. Have I
misunderstood yet again?
In our Lord Jesus,
Response #1:
I agree that "Tabernacles / Sukkot" is not the most likely start point, because
it symbolizes the Lord's return and the commencement of the Millennium, but it
is a possibility, and the festival doesn't end this year until October 2nd
(according to the traditional calendar).
However, the present Jewish calendar may have the month wrong. Which is to say
that there is no direct continuity between the calendar before the diaspora and
the calendar today. The calendar is lunar, so without a definite year to year
continuity, just looking at 2026, either September 10/11 or October 10/11, the
day and the day after the new moon in each respective month, might be the
"correct" Rosh Hashanah, with Yom Kippur 9/10 days later and Sukkot 4/5 days
after that and lasting a week (see
the link).
Mind you, because the equinox was on September 22nd, that makes the September
dates closer to lining up with the seasons than the October date – so more
likely in a vacuum on those grounds – but we can't say for sure since, as I say,
we are unable to trace all this back to antiquity. The "Anno Mundi" calendar was
not invented and put into place until after the destruction of Jerusalem and the
diaspora (link),
so it is certainly possible that it does not reflect precisely what happened
prior to that.
Bottom line: it won't be until early November until we can say with certainty
that the fall festivals are over in terms of possible start dates for the
Tribulation this year.
Hope you're doing well, my friend!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #2:
Hi Bob,
Ah, thank you Bob! That makes sense. I don't know whether I'm glad the
show hasn't start yet or we will have to wait 7 more years. Or, more
likely, we really have no idea when. It's all in His good time.
At this point, I'm doing as well or a bit better than can be expected.
Thank you for your good wishes. I pray you are doing well healing from
your accident and surgery.
This may be a foolish question but...Could it be possible that what John
saw and heard was only in heaven, but the results on earth were real?
Fires and earth quakes are happening all over the world and increasing
now, the Pacific "Ring of Fire" is growing active again, famines are
occurring all over the world and predicted here, wars & rumors of wars,
etc. The "scientific" community seems to have fully embraced Genesis
3:4-5 and using AI to create enzymes that alter DNA as well as other
monstrosities like mRNA vaccines, euthanasia is now commonly practiced
in Western countries - a kinder, gentler method of genocide. I could go
on, but I'm sure your aware of it all.
We appear to be swirling down the drain without looking back. Or maybe
I'm just off the rails.
I pray all is well up there in L'ville.
In our Lord Jesus,
Response #2:
If you're asking whether or not the Tribulation could have started but we just don't realize it yet, that's not a foolish question at all. The main passage I use to deal with that question is as follows:
(1) And when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (2) And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (3) And another angel with a golden censer came and stood by the altar, and much incense was given to him so that he might offer it for the prayers of the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne. (4) And smoke from the incense went up from the hand of the angel before God for the prayers of the saints. (5) Then the angel took the incense holder and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. And there occurred thunderous voices and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
Revelation 8:1-5
The "thunderous voices" are literally, "thunders and voices", but these are one
and the same (i.e., this is a hendiadys), namely, the voices are words of God,
incomprehensible to the world at large, which are comparable to thunder, though
discernible from it (cf. Jn.12:28-30).
Note that these astounding events follow our Lord's breaking of the seventh
seal, the action which opens the book of Revelation and thus begins the
Tribulation. This is obviously an event of immense spiritual importance, not to
mention one of the greatest import for the entire world. The "revelation" is the
revelation of Jesus Christ to the world. We know that it ends in great glory at
His second advent return. It would be highly unlikely that it would begin with
no discernible announcement. After all, we know that during His first advent,
His departure was accompanied by miraculous events:
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Matthew 27:50-54 NKJV
And the same was true of the commencement of His ministry:
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV
And of course of His birth as well:
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger [see the link].” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:8-14 NKJV
That the Tribulation, the period of the commencement of His revelation after
which the book is named, should go unnoticed on earth would not fit the pattern.
Rather, it seems that it should be announced in equally unmistakable terms.
Indications that this is so: 1) the angel throws the fire "to the earth"; 2) the
result of the fire being thrown down to the earth is "thunderous voices", as
mentioned, literally "thunders and voices" which indicates impressive noises
which cannot necessarily be understood by all, as in the cases of the Father
communicating with the Son during the first advent:
“Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.”
John 12:28-30
3) Both the "flashes of lightning" and the "earthquake" are indeed terrestrial phenomenon, so we may be sure that these are the result of the angel casting the fire down from heaven to earth to announce the commencement of the Tribulation. The fact that no specific area is mentioned indicates to me that all this will be a worldwide occurrence – hard to miss, it seems to me; 4) this passage agrees with early predictions about the Tribulation as well:
“Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: “ ‘The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth. The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,’ ” declares the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”
Jeremiah 25:30-32 NIV
It is certainly true what you say about events worldwide being consonant with
what we might expect in the early days of the Tribulation. But, honestly, based
upon the above, I think when we are "in it" we will "know it".
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #3:
Bob, thank you for the confirmation. I always believed we would have no
doubts when it started, but everything seems to have degenerated so
quickly in the last year or so, I wondered. If things, as you have
suggested to me many times in the past, will develop at an increasingly
rapid rate, we're in for deeply trying times. While I believe we'll be
protected, it won't be a walk in the park by any stretch of the
imagination. Your email is a sound and compelling reason to believe
it'll be unmistakable worldwide. Thank you.
In our Lord Jesus,
Response #3:
No, you're certainly correct! No "walk in the park" indeed. On the one hand, that is one of the reasons why I don't think it's yet begun, namely, because things are bad but not worse than they've ever been in the history of the world.
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be."
Matthew 24:21 NKJV
On the other hand, this "no walk in the park" is also the reason why we
all need to be continuing to prepare diligently for this "test of all
tests".
In regard to the speed of tribulational events, here is what I've
written in CT 1 about that (link):
The words translated "in rapid succession" (Greek: en tachei, ἐν τάχει) are not, as is often assumed, making reference to the imminence of the end times (a principle taught elsewhere: cf. v.3). Rather, this adverbial phrase calls our attention to a critically important characteristic of the Tribulation, one of which it would be well for every believer to take careful note: the horrific, utterly unbelievable cataclysms of the Tribulation will severely test the faith of genuine believers not only because of their magnitude, but, significantly, also because of their rapid succession. In our own day, and, indeed, throughout human history so far, tragedies, both individual and collective, have often occurred. One has only to reference the hitherto unprecedented events of the Second World War to understand that our world has been no stranger to tremendously difficult periods of human suffering. But in the Great Tribulation, mankind will experience such a string of tragedy upon tragedy, judgment upon judgment, persecution upon persecution, and in such swift and unrelenting succession, that nothing which has happened in the past can serve as an adequate parallel. The result will be that believers called upon to endure this most difficult period in human history cannot count on a period of emotional respite (as is often provided in the course of human affairs), for during the Tribulation the successive hammer blows of unparalleled events to come will occur one after the other and in ascending intensity.
It is a well known and biblically verified principle that nothing is more difficult to endure than "woe upon woe" (cf. Job's experiences; cf. also Phil.2:27). During the Tribulation, it will not only be the horror of events, but also their exceptional rapidity and escalating intensity that, barring sufficient preparation, will be sufficient to "stun" even the strongest of believers, removing any chance for normal recovery from emotional shock on account of the continuous sequence of pressure-filled events that will characterize the period. In short, there will be no "breathing space" in the Great Tribulation to come, and instead of a single event with which to cope, we shall be faced with a continual layering of terrible events quite unprecedented in their character and intensity. Now our God is supremely sufficient to supply all our needs, even in this most trying of times (Ps.46). Under such unique circumstances, however, it should be evident at the outset that proper spiritual preparation for that great time of testing will be absolutely essential for faith to thrive and survive. For the Tribulation will be a time when normal, secular strategies for coping with pressure and disaster will be found wholly ineffective – only a solid, deep, abiding faith in the Lord is likely to endure this unprecedented coming assault, a fact that explains in no small part the phenomenon of the Great Apostasy, the wholesale turning away from the Lord (and hence from salvation) which will characterize that difficult period. This is our first glimpse of the true nature of the Tribulation to come and our first indication that no amount of prior spiritual preparation will be regretted on the part of those called upon to suffer through it.
Keeping you in prayer, my friend – thanks so much for yours!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #4:
Hello Bob!
Thank you again for the emails; the consistency is one I want to treasure while
I have it.
I read the dates wrong for this weekend, and had a bit of a relief until today’s
emails stated the correct dates for Yom Kippur. I’d laugh, but it is a rather
serious, pending event.
I saw in one of the emails you had said :
“I've always felt that Yom Kippur was a more likely day for starting (Sept.
20-21? Oct. 20-21?), but nothing in scripture lets me be anything like dogmatic
about the particular day”
Was the Oct. 20-21st your “typing out loud” to recall the correct date? I
thought perhaps that was the “6 months” after Passover, but it didn’t align.
Also, re: the response to, I believe, #12 you had said:
“We have a right to just do what we need to do and should do and leave the rest
to the Lord. He will comfort us in these trial…”
Those are encouraging, timely words, thank you!
Also, thank you for the “go ahead to use” [notwithstanding the unintended uses,
deception, etc]. Yes, the pricing is so nuts for printing; if nothing else, I
can organize PDFs for download. Not to say electricity is always dependable, but
my concern is accessing teaching for as long as possible.
Without getting into the weeds, I had an interaction with a very angry, loose
cannon man the other day. It shook me up quite a bit. I don’t think it’ll
escalate to my being in physical danger, but I notified my closest neighbor and
will be on the lookout until things blow over, maybe keep one of the larger dogs
with me if I’m out etc. I’m patient with many things, but I don’t tend to
willingly tolerate people angrily raising their voice to me. I didn’t enlist,
nor am I hard of hearing.
Anyhow, I know it’s the smallest little smidge of what the future will hold
regarding human behavior. Thankfully, we have the Lord’s protection, and when we
have His Word stored up in our hearts, it seems we have a lot of wisdom to
navigate those land mines with calm and strategic action. “Thy Word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my path”.
I hope you have a peaceful night in the Lord!
Response #4:
It's always a pleasure, my friend.
Re: "Oct. 20-21st". That has to do with the fact that the present Jewish
calendar cannot be traced back to antiquity; it's an early medieval production.
So the "right" Passover might have been in April rather than in March, and, if
so, then the "right" Rosh Hashanah would be in October rather than September
(Yom Kippur and Sukkot too). That's why November seems doubly safe. Passover has
to be in the Spring, close to the equinox, so one of those two Fall months must
be right (the month starts at the new moon according to the biblical calendar).
No shaking today! We may be in the clear. But, like I said, I'll feel complete
relief by the time I'm eating turkey.
I'm concerned about your "encounter"! I hope you have some way of dealing with
the situation (and that it won't be allowed to repeat). Yes, "human behavior" is
bad enough as it is. In the absence of the Holy Spirit's restraint during the
Tribulation (link),
it will be much worse (hard to believe that's possible, but it is). Meanwhile,
it's still a dangerous world. Please be safe (I'm praying for you about this).
Thanks much for your good and godly attitude, my friend! It's very encouraging
to hear.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #5:
Hi Bob!
I think I’m vaguely remembering now about the dates; maybe it was already in an
email - my apologies, but thank you!
Thank you for the prayers! I think it’ll be ok, but I lean extra cautious these
days. I am hoping we can resolve the matter soon and ensure a very firm
boundary.
I’ve noticed in life the mind and subsequent behavior can be composed, but the
body can still really feels the stress; I’m not sure if it’s the same with the
very mature believers — maybe you and others are past those matters? I have a
lot of growth there to do.
I think this is where meditating on Scripture could help - really get the mind
in a steely focus on the truth leaving little room for anything else, perhaps.
Have a wonderful week in the classroom! I’ll keep you in prayers.
Response #5:
As I often say, the heart is the ultimate spiritual battleground. If we have "won" a battle there, then whatever we say and do thereafter is likely going to be right and good, even if we catch flak for it; but if we are not solid in our faith and in our thinking, then we are walking in an unstable way. Mind you, "this", namely, being at peace, having the Lord's priorities first in our hearts, thinking of "the things above" is only possible for mature believers who have learned a great deal of truth and who have some experience in fighting this fight. But it will ALWAYS be a fight as long as we are down here. A good example of this is what we find in the Psalms, so many of which show us a strong believer who is wrestling with his thoughts and emotions, struggling to apply the truth, and then does come away in the end with the divine perspective. We all have to do that too, often many times a day – and some days are a LOT more challenging than others.
"Therefore my anxious thoughts make me answer,
Because of the turmoil within me."
Job 20:2 NKJV
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19 LSB
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts.
Psalm 139:23 LSB
I have written some things about this inner battle. Here are a couple of the major links:
Who Controls our Thoughts and Emotions According to the Bible?
The Battlefield Within: Fighting the inner spiritual Struggle II
The Battlefield Within II: Combating anger, fear, blaming God, blaming others
The Battlefield Within: Fighting the inner spiritual Struggle.
The Battleground of the soul (Peter 6)
Spiritual Warfare (in BB 6A: Peripateology)
Maintaining a Sound Christian Offense in our Spiritual Warfare (Peter 39)
Keeping your "situation" in my prayers. Be safe, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #6:
Hi Bob!
Thank you kindly. Some of them look familiar, I’m pretty sure, but a refresher
course seems appropriate and needed right now. I’ll add them to the homework.
Thank you for the prayers! The other night, I checked out the windows late at
night after the dogs’ growl/bark, and saw someone walking around with a
flashlight. Oddly, he seemed to go into one of our fields. I called the
neighbors immediately, and one of them ultimately found the guy hiding out on
their farm among pond weeds. It sounds like he received a firm and appropriate
scolding.
It wasn’t related, from what I can tell, to the prior angry man (that’s still
not sorted but in good time; will stay alert), but very out of place for our
area.
In the past, I would have been so afraid or paranoid, but wasn’t really too
scared this go. That’s an awesome blessing.
The bill for dog food seems a bit lighter now too!
Have a great day!
Response #6:
My pleasure, my friend.
These problems sound more like city problems. What's the point of being out in
the country if the weirdos are commuting out there to harass you? Do please stay
safe. Glad you've got some good canine help.
Keeping you and yours in my prayers, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #7:
Hey Dr Bob!
You've mentioned a possible 1 month shift with the fall feasts, can you explain
why one month?
Also, I've been wondering about the verse that talks about night coming when no
man can work (John 9:4). Is this referring to the Tribulation, or specifically
the 2nd half, when it's not as possible to learn and grow in the Word? And that
the Word becomes rare?
The Lord led me to you (after a sincere prayer for truth amidst the mud) and
thereafter Pastor Omo,
Mike C, and
Steve T, less than 2 years ago. While
my husband and I have grown to understand much from all of you in these past 2
years and caught our kids up to speed by sharing what we've learned, I fear it's
not enough time to really have matured enough, especially for our young kids,
but us too.
So, with time the way it is, if there isn't much left and it kicks off now, I'm
envisioning my family and I "cramming" for a MAJOR test with whatever time is
left. My main question I've been pondering: do you think it's reasonable to
expect at least the first half, or part of it, to still have time to do this? To
"work while it's still day?"
We are sincerely trying to use time wisely now and do better each day learning
and growing and praying, but family life is still going as normal and need to
balance it all. If things actually begin, I see us setting much aside (homeschool
subjects, kids sports, home projects, etc) to do this intense study and trying
to get ready for whatever comes in His plan for us.
I just hope there would be some time after commencement we would still be at
home, digging into our bibles and your printed materials, even if we are living
on peanut butter and tuna and reading by candlelight if the world is going nuts.
Some time still.
I've read your comments and from others in the postings that they would be
somewhat disappointed if things don't kick off, we would need to wait longer to
see our dear Lord, begin the millennium in our eternal bodies, continue the
fight here longer with patient endurance. But, on the other hand, I would be
very grateful for more time to continue growing and maturing and passing the
"quizzes" before the final exam comes. The Lord has his perfect timetable, the
appointed time for all these things, our job is to trust Him in this and all
things.
I'm always just grateful He did lead me to you and the others, to quench the
desire for truth. Reading the Bible was good of course, but as you and
pastor Omo say, you need a
teacher to help understand and that sure proves to be true. It's like switching
on turbo speed. And after years in church, that was like slowly going in reverse
perhaps.
Anyways, the leaves are beginning to turn in northern Michigan and we sure love
it. God is beautiful. It all points to Him. I bet you are in warm days still
rather south of here. Hope your college students are good to you this week!
Response #7:
Why do I mention October? The festivals are calculated not on the basis of our
essentially solar calendar but on the basis of the lunar calendar. That is why
the date of Easter is always moving around. Passover, for example, takes place
on the fourteenth day of the first month (Abib/Nissan). To decide which day is
Passover, one has to count fourteen days from the beginning of that month, that
is, from the new moon (originally, apparently, the one closest to the equinox).
The same sort of calculation, i.e., counting from the new moon, is also true of
Yom Kippur for the seventh month (Ethanim/Tishri) – although the tenth day in
that case. So it's all about when the new moon takes place.
Since the lunar calendar is only about 360 days, for those using this type of
calendar (as opposed to ours where months and moons do not line up), every few
years one has to "intercalate" another month in order for spring festivals to
happen in the spring and fall festivals to happen in the fall. We have evidence
that in Israel they did adjust the calendar in antiquity, but there is no
evidence that the current Jewish calendar, the one that had Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur in the lunar month occurring in September, is right. October could be
"God's seventh month", so to speak. So while because the new moon in September
was closer to the equinox than the one in October, September was probably right,
still we have no way of knowing for sure. That is why, for safety's sake, I'd
prefer to wait until some time in November before I "sound the all clear" for
the year.
I'm very heartened to hear your positive report my friend, as well as your
determination to keep preparing and to keep preparing your family! I do not know
what the texture of life will be like during the Tribulation precisely. We have
it from our Lord that it will be the greatest time of "trouble" the world has
ever seen. But that does not mean that absolutely everything will come to a
halt. The beast will be able to launch the most massive military operation in
the history of the world at the very end of the seven years, so, clearly, while
many have died, many have remained alive to that point and are still capable of
concerted action – and we are talking about unbelievers here who will not be
under God's protection as we will be; indeed, they will be the objects of His
wrath.
Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
Isaiah 26:20 NKJV
This and other passages indicate to me that while there will be hardship and
persecution, it is certainly possible that believers will be able to muddle
through with God's help. There will be a lot of martyrdom. But there will also
be a sizeable number of believers resurrected while alive at our Lord's return
(e.g., 1Cor.15:50-58; 1Thes.4:13-18), so, clearly, many will get through without
being killed or starving to death, e.g.
Like you, I'd be very grateful for seven years worth of respite. Whether it
happens that way, or whether we have a longer (or shorter) time to wait than
anticipated, in any case we know that our Lord Jesus Christ is faithful, and
that our work in the Lord "is not in vain" (1Cor.15:8).
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9 NKJV
In our dear Savior Jesus Christ,
Bob L.
p.s., I'm glad to hear that you are also benefitting from
Mike C.'s,
Steve T.'s and
Curt Omo's ministries!
[p.s., special appeal to any and all who have felt the need to contribute to this ministry over the years but have been unable to do so (because it doesn't accept them): please consider blessing Bible Academy with your godly generosity.]
Question #8:
Well said indeed.
I remember you also saying, with the rapid momentum of the last 7 years, and the
many things going on, it'll be harder at that point to really "cram". But, I'm
sure hoping for even a year still living at home with the kids, to fully commit
to absolutely focusing and teaching about the time we would be in. Until it
starts, we do the best we can, ut normal life needs to also continue and raising
4 kids and homeschooling and all the things to keep a home, well, it takes time!
I picture us doing, and hope for the time to pull a "hail Mary" (not the
catholic one) only talking to the kids about it.
But for now, day by day, we just continue. I'm not going to deny I'm antsy to
know. Yom Kippur has passed.
Really appreciate your words, I will reread that, like I normally need to, to
cement it in my mind.
Thanks again Dr Bob,
In our good Lord,
p.s., I should clarify...maybe the term hail mary wasn't the best choice of
wording. That is to expect a low chance of success, and I do have more hope than
that!! Trying to say, we will pull all we have into any time left, after it
begins. At that point, some of the regular "life" stuff wouldn't really need the
time and be in the way of full, dedicated study and prayer.
Response #8:
No worries! You're so busy you might not even notice the Tribulation. Seriously, I do indeed imagine that "life stuff" will continue. I also am confident that the Lord knows who belongs to Him (2Tim.2:19) and will protect us from the worst of it. There will be martyrdom in the second half, but it won't be universal as a great multitude of believers will still be around to be resurrected alive when our Lord returns (e.g., 1Cor.15:51-52; 1Thes.4:13-17). And until He does, there will still be normal life up to that point:
"Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left."
Matthew 24:40-41 NKJV
Looking forward to being taken and not left behind!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #9:
Ha ha, that made me laugh. Too busy to even notice the Tribulation. If only it
were that simple!
Our son was in the ER last night with a crazy high heart rate for 3 hours, then
it subsided. Didn't really get an answer, but will keep an eye and follow up
with a cardiac Dr. It's hard not to feel these things, health things, especially
with one's children, and not be fearful/anxious. I was explaining to my son the
Lord gives us hard things to help us trust him no matter what. Life has actually
been quite smooth lately, and I actually had the thought maybe I need some
trials to really strengthen me lol, I think I've had a quiet period when the
Lord allowed me time to learn. I would appreciate prayers for him!
Thanks Dr Bob for being available for me and all the others.
In Jesus,
Response #9:
I've said a prayer for your son. Keep me in the loop.
Re: "Life has actually been quite smooth lately", praise God for that! I
do have to observe that once a believer attains to a certain level of spiritual
maturity, often it's not the "big test" that proves challenging but more often a
surprise shock or a very aggravating annoyance or an unexpected temptation that
cause the problem (compare Elijah, Moses and David on those three things
respectively). We all need to stay alert always (link),
but we never have to be "flinching" as if we're going to be clobbered with
something we can't handle (1Cor.10:13). I think you are doing things "just
right" – so be pleased to keep it up!
Keeping you and yours in my prayers, my friend – and thanks so much for yours.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #10:
Dr. Luginbill,
In The Coming Tribulation,
Part 3B, under
'Antichrist's maternal origin,' you write that Daniel 9:27 contains the
Hebrew ve-gam hu'. "...the Hebrew text in both instances contains a
prophetic reference to the beast: ve-gam hu' in the first passage and
ve-gam naghidh berith in the second, meaning, respectively, "and this indeed
is the one (i.e., antichrist)" and "and this indeed is the prince of the
covenant (of Dan.9:27, i.e., antichrist)".
I know very little about Hebrew, but using the references that I have access to
I cannot locate the phrase ve-gam hu' in Dan.9:27. Is this a theological
argument arrived at by reconstructing the implied subject, you understanding of
the whole Hebrew discourse, or is ve-gam hu' intended as a descriptive
paraphrase rather than a quotation of the text? The discourse flow shows that
the 'he' of verse 27 continues the subject of the 'prince who is to come' in
verse 26. So I think I am understanding you to say that Daniel 9:27 introduces
the covenant, Daniel 11:22 later identifies the prince associated with that
covenant, therefore Daniel 11:22 is intentionally pointing back to Daniel 9:27.
Is that correct?
I am studying Revelation chapter eleven so I can explain it to our family but I
can't seem to make this section clear enough to be able to teach it. Thanks for
all you do.
Response #10:
Good to hear from you. Here's the part in CT 3B you are asking about:
The close relationship which the beast fosters with Israel during the first half of the Tribulation is no doubt fostered by this fallacious assertion (i.e., he is the "prince of the covenant": Dan.9:27; cf. Num.24:24; Dan.11:22b). We will have much to say about these verses below, but suffice it to say here that the Hebrew text in both instances contains a prophetic reference to the beast: ve-gam hu' in the first passage and ve-gam naghidh berith in the second, meaning, respectively, "and this indeed is the one (i.e., antichrist)" and "and this indeed is the prince of the covenant (of Dan.9:27, i.e., antichrist)". The close relationship which the beast fosters with Israel during the first half of the Tribulation is no doubt fostered by this fallacious assertion (i.e., he is the "prince of the covenant": Dan.9:27; cf. Num.24:24; Dan.11:22b). We will have much to say about these verses below, but suffice it to say here that the Hebrew text in both instances contains a prophetic reference to the beast: ve-gam hu' in the first passage and ve-gam naghidh berith in the second, meaning, respectively, "and this indeed is the one (i.e., antichrist)" and "and this indeed is the prince of the covenant (of Dan.9:27, i.e., antichrist)".
The operative part above is: When I say "ve-gam hu' in the first passage
and ve-gam naghidh berith in the second . . . respectively", I mean
Numbers 24:24 as the first passage and Daniel 11:22b as the second. Daniel 9:27
has "the covenant" of which antichrist is "the prince" which phrase corresponds
to "and also this one is the prince of the covenant" in Daniel 11:22b (ve-gam
naghidh berith) which echoes Numbers 24:24, "and also this one is he".
I could have made this a little more clear in the way I wrote it. Sorry for the
confusion. Do feel free to write me back about this.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #11:
Dr. Luginbill,
Man, do I ever feel silly. That makes perfect sense. Somehow it was stuck in my
head that when you said "the first passage" you were referring to Dan.9:27 and
the second was referring to Dan.11:22b. I spent a long time trying to make that
make sense to me. Oh my...so sorry to bother you. It makes perfect sense now.
Thank you for taking the time to set me straight.
Response #11:
No need to "feel silly"!
I wrote this in a pretty confusing way and it would be easy for anyone
to do what you did, namely, assume that I was talking about Daniel 9:27
– which is, after all, the main passage in the paragraph.
The main points are that the antichrist is "the prince of the covenant"
in Daniel, that is, the person who makes the treaty with Israel and then
breaks it; that this is specifically prophesied also in Balaam's
prophecy in Numbers; and finally that the correspondence and verbal
allusion is easy to miss because it's only evident in the Hebrew (i.e.,
ve-gam naghidh berith in Daniel deliberately echoes ve-gam hu'
in Numbers).
My pleasure!
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #12:
Hello Dr.,
In your DropBox you should find the audio files for Hebrews chapters 7-9:
Things are rolling along here. Hot, humid and very little rain so far this
summer, over a 6” deficit, hoping/praying for some good soaking rain showers in
the near future to keep the garden and more importantly the well going. Work of
course is dysfunctional, however, I imagine this is how it is in the majority of
work-places with people being the way they are. It seems to me that most people
have some kind of psychological disorder (to put it in secular terms). As you
know for the most part this is the sin nature left un-curbed, people get pretty
warped after embracing a lifetime of sin and modern psychology doesn’t help by
creating labels that give people excuses and prescribing psychotropic
medications that numb them out. Freud supposedly remarked to Jung on their trip
to America that they were bringing the “plague” in reference to psychotherapy,
whether he was joking or serious I find it to be true. The good news is I’ve got
3 years 10 months left until full retirement, the bad news is that it will most
likely be right in the middle of the tribulation. Well, what are you gonna do?
Just a new batch of psychopaths to deal with, as well as some of the old I’m
sure. You remarked in your weekly postings a few months ago that you noticed how
different you were becoming from the people around you - I get it. The truly
good news is that the Lord knows exactly where each of us is at and will help us
through whatever may come our way.
[omitted]
How are you Sir? I hope you are having a pleasant and productive summer. I’ll
have some more audio files for you in a few weeks. Keep up the good work on your
end, I appreciate everything you do.
All the best,
Rev.22:20
Response #12:
Three chapters at once! You've been very busy, my friend!
All files received, uploaded and
tested AOK.
I'm surprised to hear that it's dry where you are. This has been the
wettest summer I've ever experienced in Louisville, and every time I've
glanced at the radar the storms seemed to have been soaking Tennessee
more so than Kentucky.
How are you faring health-wise? I keep you both in my daily prayers on
this subject. I've been having a little trouble with the knees, left one
especially. Part of the problem is an attempt to lose the weight the
whole surgery evolution resulted in but doing so a little too
enthusiastically. I am recovering and in recent days have been adding a
tiny bit of jogging to the walks. The space between too much and too
little has gotten narrower and narrower over the years – seems like the
day/night division line on the surface of Mercury at present. We make
the best judgment calls we can.
[omitted]
I hear you on the whole mental health thing (there was a lot about that
in this weeks email posting as you probably noticed). They had insane
asylums before Freud, so there are definitely people out there with
"problems". The issue is, as you note, with the therapy. Going from 10%
need it to 10% don't is definitely problematic in my view. Not that
there aren't people out there who really do need help (we certainly
understand that), but for most who really don't, the alphabet soup list
of conditions really does offer a "pick your excuse" menu for anyone
who's not serious about life: we are all suffering; for a lot of people,
more "sucking it up" and less whining would be good in my view (if the
shoe fits). I leave individual situations to individuals to sort out –
for reasons also discussed last weekend. Also, on top of not factoring
in the sin nature, modern psychology knows nothing of demon harassment
and demon possession.
On reaching retirement during the Tribulation, that may well happen.
Lately I have found myself in the position of encouraging believers not
to change up their applications or life plans because of that
possibility. As I've always said, 2026 is an interpretation. It still
looks right to me, but I have to say, as messed up as things are, it
does seem doubtful to me that the commencement would be so near, based
upon observation of the world's status quo alone. Of course we don't
look to that status quo alone. Things could change in a New York minute
even if present conditions were wonderfully good. We will all just have
to wait and see. I am planning to roll out most of what I have saved up
on eschatology in the last few months once we get closer to September.
Because you never know.
Thanks for the prayers! Keeping you guys in mine day by day.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #13:
Thanks Bob,
I have rallied again today. I have felt a little worn down and tired
from all this wrestling but I trusted the foundation of the Rock again!
I can't override anyone else' free will with this and I realise they
don't want to see just how dark things really are with __...in the
Tribulation it will get a lot darker after all.
I will concentrate again on doing what I am supposed to do and
reflecting the light of Christ to __ in the hope of it being preferred
to the darkness of my unsaved family.
I will busy myself again with what I am supposed to do. I am sure that
the widespread rapid changes of the Tribulation will unsettle even my
stiff-necked family. Indeed it may make them even more hostile than they
already are but I trust in the Lord's deliverance.
Isaiah 13:9-12
Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming—
cruel, with fury and burning anger—
to make the earth a desolation
and to destroy the sinners within it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their
light.
The rising sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light.
I will punish the world for its evil
and the wicked for their iniquity.
I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant
and lay low the pride of the ruthless.
I will make man scarcer than pure gold,
and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.
The truth is that we don't know WHICH men will be made rarer than the
gold of Ophir. We know it will be the sinners, the wicked, the arrogant
etc. but we don't know WHICH sinners specifically. That is why it is
wise for us ALL to have fear of the Lord.
Psalm 2:12
Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your
destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who
take refuge in him.
Revelation 6:15-17
Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the
mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the
rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks,
“Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has
come, and who is able to withstand it?”
I have handed over in prayer the most egregious members to the Lord. If
they really decide to harden their hearts to continually do Satan's will
on earth and they are insane enough to think they can fight God and
win....I don't need to do anymore but leave them to God. If they repent
and are horrified in the Tribulation then He will have mercy on them so
they can be saved. If they continue on this broad road to destruction
and 'wax worse and worse' then again..it is in God's hands.
I am at peace in so far that I tried my best to show them the witness of
the life again and again...showed forgiveness and mercy to them again
and again..gave them the Gospel again and again. If they still choose
Satan after all that, that really is 'on them' and they will have no
excuse.
I see from the Word of God that often families are peppered with those
who choose God and those who reject Him. Cain and Abel being the
earliest example of this of course.
I am confident that I did all I could for my family given how hard
hearted they are and now it is for me to dedicate my time to my true
brethren.
I know this won't be smooth sailing all the way and the evil one will
constantly try to trip me up moving forward but nevertheless I am
overall in a much stronger spiritual place than I was a month or so
again.
Thanks again for you continual support Bob and daily ministering.
Keeping you and your ministry in my daily prayers.
Your friend in Jesus,
Response #13:
That's right, everyone makes their own choices, but I am praying for__ to get
some distance and drop it. It's time for you both to have some peace from all
the drama.
I'm very pleased to hear that you are continuing to fight the fight. The evil
one and his forces may well be trying to wear us down, but we have the Holy
Spirit, so that even if it sometimes feels like we're at the end of our rope, we
know that we have unlimited energy and support, if only we believe it so as to
access it.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-30 NKJV
Re: "I am confident that I did all I could for my family". I think that
is VERY clear. And I know that you are still praying for them and that it
would/will be a joyous day when they finally respond to the Lord.
I think you are right that the Tribulation will shake a lot of people up – and
some of them will land on the right side of the "shake up" line. Praying that
all whom we love and care about will fall into that category.
Keeping you two in my daily prayers, my friend.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #14:
Hi Bob,
I hope your week is going well. Hope your meeting with the dean yesterday went
well too.
Here's a typo from this week's emails.
Response #12
Re: "I have severely underestimated the enemy". We don't have (to) be concerned
about the evil one . . .
I loved that paragraph, Bob, and I really appreciate you writing it. I agree
with you 100%. It's how I see it too. Sometimes those who have suffered abuse
can tend to be hyper-vigilant - constantly scanning for danger which can feel
exhausting and terrifying. I think it's a survival mechanism. What you wrote is
healthy and comforting. The Lord will comfort us in our trials and give us
protection, peace, rest and healing. He did that for me and I pray and know He
will do the same for others.
In Jesus
Response #14:
Thanks for the additional help!
Also, thanks for the encouragement. I do think it's important to know all we can
about the adversary and his operations (hence
the Satanic Rebellion series and
the Spiritual Warfare
series), but it's also pointless to be upset about things we can neither see
nor control. If we get hit by a fast tree as I did, we don't know whether or not
the devil moved it or one of his minions or it was just there. And it doesn't
make any difference in any case because 1) we still got hit, but 2) God was the
One who kept the hit from being mortal or even maiming. In other words, we can
trust God – and that is what we should always be doing of course.
If we do trust Him, then we can relax about everything else. That's what "faith
rest" really means (link).
We do what He calls us to do and let the chips fall where they may, in perfect
confidence and peace that He is working it all together for the absolute good
(Rom.8:28), even if we can't see that at the time. Our emotions may not want to
"play ball" (link),
our bodies may ache, but in our hearts we can know that the Lord is in absolute
control, that He loves us and is taking care of us, and that on the other side –
coming soon enough – there will be no pain or trouble or evil or sin or
opposition or anything else negative of any sort whatsoever forever and ever,
amen!
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
Revelation 21:4 NKJV
I appreciate your godly perspective, my friend! It's an encouragement to me.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #15:
Hi Bob,
The Satanic Rebellion series is so
good! I think the Lord has revealed to us as much as we need to know about the
evil one and his forces in the Bible. No more and no less and that's for our own
good. He has our best interests at heart.
We must never forget or underestimate the love and power of God at work in and
through and for us.
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He
who is in you than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be
against us?
Romans 8:31
This week's emails were an encouragement to me. I hope these few words are an
encouragement too!
No shaking on Yom Kippur this year. But that's okay - we keep soldiering on in
His strength.
Keeping you in my prayers, Bob and thanks so much for yours too.
In Jesus
Response #15:
Thank you! Much appreciated (the meeting went very well).
Yes, as you know, I fully agree. In fact, it's beyond dangerous to become too
infatuated with this topic. After all, that leads to false "spiritual warfare"
of the excessive Laodicean type, and the next thing you know people are
performing "exorcisms", falling on the floor laughing, engaging in spiritual
combat with demonic forces . . . or following others who are, etc. (see
the link). This is how Gnostic cults and new age excesses get started
and sustained, after all. A lot about that in
the Colossians series (as you also know).
Re: "no shaking" but "we keep soldiering". Amen!
Thanks much for this inspired and inspiring email. I draw encouragement from
your spiritual wisdom.
Thanks for those prayers too (keeping them up on this end as well).
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob,
I'm glad it gave you some encouragement.
When the Spirit stirs my heart like that and I feel led to speak about the
goodness of God, I just can't keep it in! I get opposition from the enemy too in
the process but I'm learning more and more to stand firm and ignore it.
We got to Friday, Bob!
Thanks so much for all your encouragement and prayers. Wishing you a good and
restful weekend.
In Jesus
Response #16:
I understand! That's also biblical:
"For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst."
Job 32:18-19 NIV
But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
Jeremiah 20:9 NIV
Yes, the weekend! Very needful here (and I'm sure the same is true over there).
Thanks for your prayers as well, my friend. Keeping them up from here as well.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #17:
Strange that an AI , copilot can recognize the pre trib lie and many church and
members can’t see the truth, bought into the lie, sad.
I have a picture of Jesus and one hand is on his forehead, caption says, that’s
not what I
Said …
Not giving up, I am a watchman on the wall
On duty, sounding alarm on the enemy I see
His attack, methods, and tactics .
Thanks – here's the result I got from copilot:
Your statement “pre trib rapture is a lie” puts you squarely inside one of the oldest and most heated debates in modern Christian theology. Here’s the key thing: Christians disagree because the Bible doesn’t give a single, explicit timeline, so people build their views from interpretation, not a direct verse.
I’ll give you a clear, structured breakdown so you can see exactly where the tension comes from — and why many believers reject the pre trib view.
The core takeaway
There is no verse in Scripture that directly teaches a pre tribulation rapture. Every pre trib argument is built from inference, not explicit text. Every post trib or mid trib argument is built from passages that appear to place the resurrection and gathering at Christ’s visible return.
That’s why this debate exists.
Why many Christians say the pre trib rapture isn’t biblical
1. Jesus places the gathering “after the tribulation”
Matthew 24:29–31 — Jesus explicitly says after the tribulation He gathers His elect.
Pre trib teachers often claim Matthew 24 is “for Israel only,” but Jesus was speaking to His disciples, not a separate group.
2. Paul ties the rapture to the resurrection — which happens at Christ’s visible return
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 — The rapture happens when Jesus descends, with a shout, trumpet, and resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:52 — The resurrection happens at the last trumpet, not a secret earlier one.
If the resurrection is at the last trumpet, and the rapture is tied to that resurrection, it’s hard to place it before the tribulation.
3. The early church didn’t teach pre trib
For nearly 1800 years, Christian writings show believers expected to face tribulation before Christ’s return. The pre trib doctrine emerged in the 1830s through John Nelson Darby.
4. Revelation shows believers present during tribulation
Revelation speaks of saints overcoming the beast, refusing the mark, and being martyred.
Pre trib theology must explain why these believers are present if the church is supposedly gone.
5. “Wrath” and “tribulation” are not the same thing
Pre trib arguments often say:
“God won’t let the church experience wrath.”
True — but tribulation isn’t God’s wrath. Tribulation is persecution from the world and the Antichrist. Wrath is God’s judgment poured out afterward.
Why some Christians still defend pre trib
To be fair, here are the main reasons people hold the view:
They interpret the church and Israel as separate prophetic programs.
They see the “blessed hope” as escape from tribulation.
They interpret Revelation chronologically.
They believe the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2 is the Holy Spirit in the church.
These arguments rely heavily on theological systems, not explicit verses.
The real issue
The debate isn’t about whether Jesus returns — all Christians agree He does. The debate is about timing, and Scripture simply doesn’t give a clean, step by step timeline.
So when you say “pre trib rapture is a lie,” you’re echoing the position of:
most early Christians
most global Christians today
many scholars who argue the text doesn’t support a pre trib timeline
But it’s still a debate because sincere believers interpret prophecy differently.
Response #17:
It is strange . . . or maybe not so strange. Seems like all anyone, man or machine, really needs to do to understand that this "doctrine" is flawed is to be able to read English:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Matthew 24:29-31 NKJV
In Jesus,
Bob L.
p.s., with AI, it also depends on how you ask the question; if you ask one of
them something like, "the rapture is a valid teaching, isn't it?", they'll
probably fall all over themselves trying to support it. Here's a recent response
I got when I called one of them to account for an answer that was dubious: "When
you asked about the difference in meaning, I took for granted that there must be
a substantive answer and set about producing one. When the substance was thin, I
made up for it with elaboration." They also "hallucinate" . . . and admit to it
when pressed.
Question #18:
Hi Bob,
We will have to wait for the scan results. [omitted] If they don't work then
really it is about prayer and the Lord getting me through. It has been hard
after everything else to get my momentum going again but I keep trying. I will
keep chipping away at all the fronts the Lord has given me.
Saw on a bus today that Franklin Graham is doing a 'God loves you' tour and one
of the free events will be in my local city at the start of next month. I am
tempted to go along and take my notebook and pen to see what passes for
evangelicaldom these days. I used to hide from even approaching such things but
I feel I am mature enough now not to be drawn into anything bad. Will pray on it
though just to be on the safe side. I doubt anyone will learn anything there
though hopefully they will make the Gospel front and central. Would be
interesting to see what thousands of putative Christians in one place together
would look like?
I don't want to be cynical Bob but it seems like it is only focused on altar
calls and being saved without consideration for people's spiritual growth
afterwards but I could take those Ichthys cards I printed out and also (if I get
things into gear quickly) get my own ministry out there too!
https://youtu.be/7roJVCmcrYU?si=ASqP_3AKZeSWpeAE
https://billygraham.org/events/god-loves-you-tour-manchester
When they had this same tour a few years back, the Mayor of Liverpool got the
bus adverts banned as he called Franklin a 'hate preacher' for sticking to the
Bible on same sex relations matters. It may come to this again as England is a
very dry tinder keg now and we are all now waiting for the whole country to
explode over one thing or another. Even unbelievers can 'read the room' these
days.
Feel I need to get my ministry chops working even now before I launch it
officially so have been trying to comfort other Christians on YouTube comments
when I see them and lead them to your ministry. They seem a bit surprised that I
know so much and are so confident in my sureness of faith and I can thank YOU
for that my friend!
I was engaging with one young man and he seemed to be benefitting from Biblical
wisdom but then he talked about the 'spirit of Leviathan' and 'praying in
tongues'. I realise that so many Christians have been spending so much of their
time in Charismania-Land and such like that they haven't grown any and so still
talk like babies in Christ. It is terrifying considering the Tribulation may be
around the corner.
Speaking of which I held my breath on Sunday and Monday but no earthquake as yet
(Yom Kippur). I know there are other dates in October to keep an eye open for
but I think you said that if nothing happens by November then we have another
seven years of respite. Either way, whether the balloon goes up next month or we
have longer to wait...I won't let that hold me back or get complacent about
keeping on keeping on.
Your friend in Jesus,
p.s. hoping your neck and fatigue is clearing up.
Response #18:
Thanks for the update, my friend. I'm keeping you in my prayers and your health
too, of course. Strange that they would suggest that for your
symptoms (doesn't seem to make any sense).
I'm not a Graham fan (or of his dad either), and mainly for the reason you note:
"fire and forget" evangelism; they may "turn over" the newly saved (?) to local
churches, which in many instances is a case of Matthew 23:15: "You travel over
land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them
twice as much a child of hell as you are". Obviously, any good anyone does we
are for (Mk.9:40; Lk.9:50). But on the other hand, we know what it is that
people really need: biblical truth and lots of it. And you are absolutely right
that these circus events and behaviors take on a life of their own and people
come to think that this is all there is.
I'm doing better. Still get tired more easily. Part of that is the work load is
a bit too much at present. Had a meeting with the Dean today and I've got a lot
of work to do this fall on our new major proposal since I took on the vice chair
role. But I know the Lord will get me through – just as He always has.
Yes, I think we may be in the clear for some time. But I do want to wait until
October is "in the bank" and November is well under way before letting down my
guard on this issue. Clearly, we'd all be happy to have a respite, even if the
ultimate wait is longer that way. In any case, it's not up to
us (Acts 1:7 [see
the link]).
Thanks for your prayers for me too, my friend! Let me know what develops.
In Jesus,
Bob L.
Question #19:
Hi Bob,
The phrase "gathered to his people" in Genesis 25:8 seems frequent, particularly
in the old testament. Did that mean buried in the same grave/crypt or do you
think it had a broader, spiritual implication? Now that I'm looking at my end of
days, the question is a bit more poignant than in days past. Thanks.
In our Lord,
Response #19:
Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 25:8 NKJV
We see precisely what that means here:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:19-31 NIV
Abraham was "gathered together" with all of the other believers of the Old
Testament in paradise below (cf. Lk.23:43). The Spirit puts things this way in
order to demonstrate to all and to reassure believers that death for us who are
saved is not the grave and darkness but comfort and blessing in every way. As it
says above "the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side" (i.e.,
paradise); but "The rich man also died and was buried". So only believers are
said to be "gathered" in this way.
This is similar to what our Lord tells the doubters of His day:
Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
Luke 20:34-38 NIV
These bodies only have meaning for the very short span of time that we are "down here". In short order, we will all be resurrected into perfect and eternal bodies fit to enjoy the eternal life we now possess positionally in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
1st Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV
There is indeed great comfort and encouragement in the sure and certain knowledge and faith in the resurrection. After all, that is the hope with which we accepted Christ in the first place.
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.
Romans 8:23-24 NIV
Here's the best link on that: in
CT 5, The Resurrection of the Lamb's Bride: Revelation 19:6-10
Paradise is no longer occupied. All believers who died prior to our Lord's
ascension were taken to heaven to await the resurrection from there (link),
and that is where all of us will abide until that glorious day, once we depart
from this life as well (link).
For we know that if our earthly tent-dwelling (i.e., our physical body) be struck, we have an abode [that comes] from God, a dwelling made without human agency, eternal in the heavens (i.e., the resurrection body). For indeed we do groan in this one, desiring to put on our habitation which comes from heaven. And [even] if we do put off this present one, at any rate, we (i.e., our spirits) will not be found naked (i.e., “body-less”; for we will enjoy an interim body in the meantime: cf. Lk.16:19-31; Rev.6:9-10; Rev.7:9-17).
2nd Corinthians 5:1-3
In great anticipation of that glorious day in Jesus our blessed Savior,
Bob L.