Ask a Bible Teacher

Discouraged Because The Rapture Didn’t Happen

Published: January 21, 2008
Q

Thank you for this website. It has helped me feel better many times when I need to be encouraged.

And that’s why I’m writing this note. Since January 1st I’ve been feeling a bit down because we’re still here on Earth. I’m not a date-setter and have never before been caught up in specific times or dates for the coming Rapture, but I really believed that Jesus was coming for us in 2007.

But here we are, stuck on Earth. Some of my friends and peers think I have a perfect life. I have a great family, terrific wife and children, am debt-free and really have no financial worries. I have no specific complaints, other than a general feeling of being down because the Rapture hasn’t come.

I believe God has given you gifts to help and inspire others, so I am asking you for words of advice, encouragement and direction. If you think I need a good kick in the rear, let me know that too. I don’t like feeling sad like this. And I’m a little afraid that one of these times, my belief that the Rapture is imminent is going to interfere with a work or home project, and then I’ll be guilty of negligence in my leadership position. Help!


The Trans-Atlantic Common Market

Published: January 21, 2008
Q

What do you make of the story that about a U.S. and E.U. merger? It’s referred to as The Transatlantic Common Market. Managed by the Transatlantic Policy Network out of D.C. and Brussels. The formation of the Transatlantic Economic Council in April 2007 with their first meeting in Nov. 07, and their next meeting in 6/08. Could this be the reason that the U.S. is not a major power in the last days?


The Nature Of God’s Ezekiel 38 Victory

Published: January 17, 2008
Q

We see in Scripture that God seems to prefer to use the forces of nature, or the actions of men or nations, to intervene in the history of the world and to fulfill prophecy. That is, His Work is brought about in a way that only believers, for the most part, are aware that He is its Author. Unbelievers are allowed to continue to think the event was caused by accident and coincidence; that it was fortuitous.

In Ezekiel 38-39, however, God says that the whole world will know that He, God Himself, has destroyed Gog and his allies for His Glory. In my mind, that implies that God will use His awesome power to intervene directly, obviously, in history at that point so that even unbelievers will know that God Himself, not rockets, A-bombs, airplanes, tanks, and soldiers, destroys 5/6 of the invaders on the “Mountains of Israel.”

What is your thinking about this?


Are There Two Gog Magog Battles?

Published: January 17, 2008
Q

I hope you can help me with this. It seems to be the opinion of many prophecy experts that the battle of Ezekiel 38 will take place before the tribulation begins. But, in Revelation 20 after Satan is released from his 1,000 year imprisonment, it clearly refers to Gog and Magog joining Satan in the battle against Israel. Are there two Gog-Magog battles?


Still More On Pres. Bush As Gog

Published: January 15, 2008
Q

Hats off to you for your nothing short of stunning piece on Pres. Bush being named as “Gog” by leading rabbis. Extremely thought-provoking. What could better illustrate the ever-changing nature of prophecy? Even supposedly bedrock interpretations of verses like (Ezekiel 38:1).

Correct me if I’m wrong: isn’t the more conventional interpretation of the identity of Gog, and Magog thought to be Russia, with the chief prince of Meshech as Moscow and Tubal as Tobolsk, Siberia?

You didn’t refer to this per se, but perhaps this may be something that will unfurl in ways we did not expect — and perhaps quite soon. Thanks again for not only this essay, but your entire body of work. Extremely helpful. (Had not heard of the polar reversal of 2012 until your recent essay.) God’s blessings to you many times over.


More On Pres. Bush As Gog

Published: January 14, 2008
Q

If I may ask, what is your take on the Rabbis’ calling Bush “Gog”? Is their meaning political or spiritual? Do you think they concur with your belief that Gog is a supernatural being, or is their meaning only allegorical/political in that Bush is playing out a similar role? (I have never heard anyone else make that assertion about Gog.) If the former, are they implying that they believe Bush is possessed?


Question About The Bush Scroll

Published: January 14, 2008
Q

I have a question about the letter to Bush from the Rabbis. I was confused because I didn’t see where Ezekiel 38 says Gog is a prince of the west, though it does seem to say he is different from someone in the far north (vs 6) but it says in vs 15 he would come from the far north.

On the other hand, I found it interesting in vs 4, it says “I will turn you around” and vs 10 “thoughts will arise in your mind”. So it almost seems as if this mounting attack against Israel will be a change of plans or intent for Gog. That doesn’t seem to apply to Russia.


Pres. Bush As Gog, Follow Up

Published: January 13, 2008
Q

The article about the Israeli Rabbis’ message to Bush is startlingly scary but very exciting. Can you direct me to a site for the text of the message? I’d like to read what they said to him. Maybe “everybody” has been misinterpreting prophecy and the US is the Babylon of Revelation. The labor pains are getting stronger very fast. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.


Post Rapture Believers

Published: January 11, 2008
Q

Thanks once again for all the work you do with this website. I have (yet another) rapture question for you.

Someone has told me that the pre-trib rapture can be disproved with 1 Thessalonians 4:15. Specifically the idea that those who are alive at the time of the Lord’s return will not precede those “who have fallen asleep in Jesus”. The reasoning goes, that if someone dies during the Tribulation having believed in Jesus, and we have already been gathered up in the rapture, doesn’t that mean that we would have preceded someone who has “fallen asleep in Jesus” and therefore negated that scripture?

I would very much appreciate your thoughts on this!


Daniel 2 And The EU

Published: January 11, 2008
Q

I showed a friend your article Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming, but he’s not convinced the part about the statues legs referring to the current day EU (Daniel 2:36-45). I know it’s roots are Rome, but I’m not sure how to put a solid case to him about it. He says we shouldn’t be so quick to be impressed by a passage so vague that it was inevitably going to apply to countless examples of inter country diplomacy over the ages.

How do we know for sure that the statue passage in Daniel is referring to the EU when talking about the legs?