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I am having trouble reconciling two verses and wonder if you could help. One is Matt 24:10-14, when Jesus predicts the great ‘falling away’ and the other is Acts 2:17 : In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

Many prophecy experts speak of the ‘Great Apostasy’, especially in relation to the ‘Florida Revival’. Many people in my church , however, believe it is a manifestation of Acts 2:17 and that in the last days God will do great things.

I must say i am quite confused over this, and would appreciate your thoughts.

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

I’ve received several questions again about various rapture positions.  Several of these questions have to do with the claim that in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25) Jesus in effect said the Church will have to endure all of the seven years of Daniel’s 70th Week including the Great Tribulation.

How do I answer the following questions from one who takes a historical perspective on prophecy, does not believe in a literal 3.5 year Great Tribulation, and thinks it began at the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70AD?

1. He claims that Jesus says the Great Tribulation begins with the destruction of Jerusalem, citing Lk 21:20-24.

2. He says the NT makes no mention of 7 years, though it deals heavily with chronologies and times, and asks, “How could that omission be possible if it is as clear and important as you maintain? Were Jesus and the apostles not aware of this prophetic time structure that is key to your viewpoint?”

3. Jesus speaks of Jerusalem being trodden underfoot by the gentiles during this same period, commencing at the destruction of Jerusalem. Revelation marks this as one of the four 3-1/2 year periods. Preaching to the ends of the world is one of the 3-1/2 year periods of Revelation – did that not start with the apostles?

I have two questions regarding the millennium. If “the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isa. 65:17) is spoken at end of the millennium and refers to eternity, does this mean the people of the nations will remember their loved ones and friends during the millennium? And secondly, I think Micah 4:5 is speaking about the millennium when it says, “all the nations may walk in the name of their Gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.” I understand that all who enter the millennium will be believers, but I assume that over time they will begin to seek and follow their own “gods.” Is this correct?

In the light of these two passages it just seems that the millennium, for the nations, will not be much different than it is now. Is this correct, and will the millennium only be strikingly different for the church and Israel? I’m sure that I am missing something here, because I always thought the millennium would be different for everyone.

The Conclusion of a two part Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Having shown that the relationship Tribulation believers will have with the Lord is substantially different from the one enjoyed by the Church, lets look into 4 examples the Lord gave us concerning the situation He’ll find on Earth when He returns.

For the record, I do believe in the Rapture. I have read your article on “7 things you should know” and in there you said that the Rapture was a “secret” teaching.

My question is how do you explain that to a person that doesn’t believe in the rapture? This “secret teaching” sounds a bit like an influence from Gnosticism…. I mean, why would Jesus NOT teach something so GREAT and WONDERFUL himself and in open for everyone to know….? It doesn’t make sense if you think about it.

The verses in Matthew that are mostly used in argument for the rapture can be turned into an argument for post-trib or the second coming of Jesus, because if you read it, you can choose which way you want to interpret it…either for the rapture or for the second coming… There is not enough proof of the pre-trib rapture in it for most people… and you can’t assume things that you want to believe are true about the Bible.. it is either right or wrong.. no grey area.

Please help me answer this question on “why didn’t Jesus Himself teach about the rapture, OPENLY.”

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Our Lord gave us a pretty thorough overview of the End Times as they relate to Israel. It’s often called the Olivet Discourse because He was speaking to four of His disciples on the Mt. Of Olives. It was just a couple of  days before He was arrested,