Shalom,

Ever get the feeling that we have a while more to wait before the fighting starts for USA? Where is the enemy? How can the US Army achieve its objective of getting rid of the root of terrorism with minimum casualties especially among the innocent civilians? And in the meantime, has it occurred to you that Israel and the PLO wants to work out a peace deal and hopefully this can lead to a full-scale peace treaty?

The events unfolding before us especially in the Middle East does give us a good indication of what will be happening in future so please watch the events there.

Now why is the Middle East so important? Let me submit to you that the Hebrew name of "Jerusalem" means "city of many peace" and it is far from being a city of peace. In fact Jerusalem is the most fought-over city in the entire world. One month ago I shared with you about the Hebrew alphabet Shin and how the terrain/ topography of the land resembles the Shin alphabet and that the Lord has set His heart on Jerusalem. There will be many wars fought in that city but God has the final say over Jerusalem and its eternal destiny.
In the Book of Revelations, Jesus told the Apostle John in a vision that there will be a New Jerusalem (Chapter 21) and in that city, God and His Children will dwell for eternity. Now that will take place at the start of the millennium rule of Jesus Christ after the seven years of painful Tribulation. You may ask what will happen during those Tribulation years. Will there be a WW3? And when will this take place?

Jesus, when He was on this Earth told His disciples in Matthew chapter 24 and in Luke chapter 21 of some of the "signs of the end of the age". There will be wars, rumors of wars, kingdom rising against kingdom, famines, pestilence, earthquakes and yet Jesus said that these were only the beginning; more will come after. And He told His disciples that they were not to be afraid or terrified because they have already been forewarned and should be prepared for them. Our focus should not be on these troubles but on the hope of His return very soon.

You see, God created the whole universe for the enjoyment of Man and gave him all authority over the created order. However, Man sinned and gave the authority over to the devil as a result of that one sin. God cannot take back that authority from the devil except through legal means and the only means is through the death of one sinless Man. And so, as soon as sin came into the world God had already set the clock in motion and given a time limit for that authority to work itself out and the time set is six thousand years. Jesus came and by His one perfect death on the Cross, had redeemed each and every one of us and all we have to do is to receive Jesus into our lives.

Because this Earth is now under the control of the devil, it has been cursed and the decay will continue until the Lord comes back to redeem His own. In the First Letter of Paul to the Church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 4: 13- 17) we are told that the Lord will come with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and those of us who are still alive will rise up in the air and meet Him and be with Him for eternity.

Imagine one day we are having a meal together. The food have been served and we are all busy eating our food and suddenly all those who have believed in Jesus and been washed in His Blood disappear and are no more because we have gone back to be with God the Father. How would you feel? What would be your reaction if you were left behind?

Now for those of us, who will be raptured, there is good news. In an atomic second, our bodies will be transformed into our new bodies and we will rise up to meet Jesus in the air. Because of our new bodies, time and space will not bind us. Like Jesus after He rose from the dead we will be able to go through closed doors and pass through thick solid walls and we will be able to travel at great speed (remember Jesus was talking with two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus and He disappeared from their sight only to appear among the 10 disciples in the locked Upper Room in Jerusalem (about 7 KM away).

And something else which is good news to some of us; Our bodies will be forever young without sicknesses and without spots and wrinkles. No wonder His disciples could not recognize Him. Also Jesus was able to eat with His disciples by the Lake of Galilee and in the Upper Room in Jerusalem; so that would be good news to some of us. We will continue to enjoy good food even in Heaven.

Will Christians go through the Tribulation? No. The Tribulation years are only for those who have not believed in Jesus and received Him into their hearts. Jesus paid for all our sins with His Blood and if you reject Him, how else can you be saved? By rejecting the only means by which you can be saved, how else can you be saved from the Day of Wrath of God? Once the Christians have been removed from this Earth, God can judge the world and find it wanting. He does not want to destroy the Earth quickly but gives plenty of opportunity to those who have yet to receive Him into their hearts to do so during those Tribulation years.

In Revelations 11, we read that the number of days for the Tribulation will be divided into two halves of 42 months each with each month having 30 days (1260 days). In the first 3-1/2 years, there will be many that previously did not receive the Lord for whatever reason will now come and receive Jesus into their hearts. Also there will be a raising up of 144,000 believing Jews who will go forth and proclaim the Blood of Jesus. At the end of these 1260 days, there will be a second rapture in which all those who have believed in Jesus including those 144,000 believing Jews.

The final 1260 days will indeed be more violent yet. Because the Church is now long gone and those who believed as well as those 144,000 believing Jews during the first half of the Tribulation years, God will now send two very powerful witnesses to start the final countdown. Day-in day-out the duo will remind the Anti-Christ of the number of days left before the world cameras which will be trained on them. These two witnesses will have supernatural power and will not die no matter how hard the anti-Christ tries to get rid of them.

On the final day (i.e. the last day of the seven-year Tribulation Period), there will be a great army assembled against Jerusalem and they will launch their attack on her. So fierce will be the battle that everything is consumed and you may call this WW3 (a nuclear war?). Jesus comes back after this and establish His New Jerusalem and this will mark the start of His Millennial Rule.

Of course, you may be asking when this will take place so that you can prepare for it. Well, nobody knows the exact date of Jesus' return for the Rapture; but like Jesus had said before, we can see the signs and by them, get a broad idea of the rough timing. And from what I have seen and studied, we are very very near the Day of the Rapture. In fact the Day can come any time now. Will the war in Afghanistan trigger the end? Maybe?

If Jesus were to come back tonight or tomorrow, will you be with those of us who will be raised to meet Jesus in the air and be with Him immediately in Heaven or will you be left behind? It has been said that the Tribulation years are horrible years. If you have not yet received Jesus into your hearts, why not take some time now and do it immediately? Don't put it off because the time fuse is running out. Why not pray this simple prayer of confession and you will join us when we go up directly to Heaven without having to die first in our bodies?
Our Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for the great love you have for us by Your sending of Jesus into this world to die for my sins and rose again on the third day. I acknowledge my sin and my need for Your love and forgiveness. Come into my life, forgive my sins and give me eternal life. I confess You now as my Lord. Thank You for my salvation.

Jesus who knew no sin had become a curse for me so that I can receive His blessing. Thank You that I am greatly blessed, highly favored, deeply loved and completely protected. I thank You in Jesus Name. Amen.

Shalom,
Andrew L W Lee

Dated : 30 September 2001