dajstill wrote:From reading Revelation, Isaiah, and Jeremiah - there are several things that happen when Yahowsha' returns. It makes sense that Yahowah's children be harvested, then return. I look at is akin to Dowd in Psalm 91 - remaining stable and fixed under the shadow of Yahowah, Him bearing us up. Seeing destruction, but not being a part of it.
The entire process is a clashing of times. Trumpets, all manner of chaos breaks loose as those who have made the wrong choice try to figure out what the heck is going on. While it is possible to be safe here, I don't really have a desire to be safe in the middle of chaos, I'd rather be resting on Dad's lap while Yahowsha' does His thing.
Another example of this concept can be found in Exodus and what happened when the children of Israel were still in bondage. Some of the plagues affected the entire area, and even those of the children of Isreal needed to say inside their dwelling or suffer the consequences along with the house of Egypt. However, some of the plagues were just for Pharaoh and those that sided with him. It seems that when Yahowsha' returns, those consequences will be suffered by those who don't belong to Yahowah.
Just my thoughts. Guess we will all simply wait and see.
I think I have some insights into the distinctions that can sort this out. Psalm 91, absolutely, yes--no matter what we go through, He will bear us up. In the long run it is even a picture of Him fighting our battles for us, culminating in the overthrow of the Beast, which at one and the same time is equally a matter of our doing His Will and fighting His Battle for Him.
Note that it is not just Yahosha coming on a white horse--He comes with a whole brigade of white horses in His army!
(Revelation 19:14) Psalm 68:17 and Zechariah 6 reflect this also--Zechariah's horses and chariots being the "good guys" who are battling against the horses and chariots of Satan--those of Revelation 6.
Yahosha's army does not come in a military sense. The world's counterfeit version will present a military battle in their efforts to subjugate the people to their New World Order. But the real Battle fought by Yahosha's army will be in terms of overthrowing the deception that the wicked are perpetrating, which has most of society already unwittingly under subjugation to Satan and in a mind-controlled haze. Those who have knowledge of the Truth are those called to fight this Battle. Overthrowing the deception is what will make soldiers lay down their arms and turn their swords into ploughshares--it will make wars cease to the ends of the earth! (Psalm 46:9, Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3)
His elite troops are His Elect. They are called prior to His return, during times of world trauma. Being led and empowered by His Spirit, they will be the "shining lights" to the world; those led by His Ruach will open people's eyes to their delusion and call them out of Babylon, so that they may be led in the Way that He is preparing for their deliverance. This is why the Ruach of Yahosha is the Ruach of prophecy--He leads His elect troops through His Ruach. (Revelation 19:10)
The trumpets and vials (or cups, or bowls, depending on the translation) are clearly the tribulations of the wicked after they have been exposed before the world, so that they may seek Him and be cleansed of their sin prior to the soon-to-follow Judgment.
The persecution of the saints, as mentioned in Revelation 6 and 13, is an entirely different Tribulation. The saints are being persecuted at the hands of the wicked--the troops of the Beast. Persecution comes upon the set-apart saints because they have gone out on the front lines, and speak boldly against the Beast. The more victories (souls) they win, correcting duped X-ians, calling people out of Babylon and bringing in misled people of all faiths, and the more power they manifest; hence the more they will be persecuted by the Beast, who will want to stop their mighty works.
Some will survive the persecution of the Beast. Others will die, but in any case it is of no consequence--those who die in service to Yah's army will live. And those imprisoned will be set free. All of the sorrow and suffering that they have been made to endure will all be worth it, because tearing down the darkness that rules the world would not have happened if not for these Ruach-led people of Yah, who accomplish this by following His directives.
This is all consistent with the fact that whistleblowers are being heavily persecuted right now, though the vast majority of the population are not aware of the terror and treason being perpetrated upon these righteous souls at this very time. Those who oppose the New World Order on spiritual grounds will be in the same category of those persecuted, but note the distinction in Matthew 5:10 of those persecuted because they stood for righteousness and opposed the Beast (these could be secular people or people of any religious faith), versus those in Matthew 5:11-12 who were persecuted
for His name's sake--those of His army who opposed the Beast and fought in a
spiritual war.
Another contradiction of the "rapture" is seen in Matthew 24:27-30:
"For as the lightning shines out of the east, and even shines unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.
"For wherever the dead bodies are, there the vultures will be gathered.
"Immediately
AFTER the Tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken;
"And
THEN shall the sign of the Son of Man appear in heaven...."
i.e., those who endure the Tribulation to the very End will be saved. This is echoed in Daniel 12:11-12, and in Revelation 22; the Abomination of Desolation has passed, and three and a half years have passed, before salvation (Yahosha) comes to set up His Throne, and His government of justice and righteousness.
I am speaking from experience as well; as a whistleblower, or maybe even a trumpetblower. I have personally encountered the Beast, and have been put under heavy persecution, as one culled for destruction.