Why Are You Willing to Gamble with Your Eternity?

What exactly is a Tribulation Saint? As you read your Bible, this might help you to avoid confusion. There are three types of saints in the Bible. (1) Old Testament Saints - they died believing in the coming of the Messiah, (2) the Church Age Saints or us, we live and die here or await the rapture that is coming for us, as members of the church, the brides of Christ, the church here, (3) the Tribulation Saints are to die for Jesus. There is no rapture promise for them because it has already taken place. They must die.

We must live for Christ as living sacrifices like Romans 12 tells us, but the Tribulation Saints must die for Jesus Revelation 13, tells us their mode of death. It tells us that they will be beheaded for their faith in Christ. It's happening now everyday but it's going to happen during the Tribulation period against the Tribulation saints who are called to die for Jesus. Those are the saints who must die for the testimony of Christ. If you want to know more about that, read Daniel 7 beginning in verse 18 but specifically verse 21, Daniel chapter 7 will tell you all about the Tribulation Saints who must lay down their lives for the testimony of Christ. Makes you wonder why some people would put off that decision to accept Jesus into their life. They might miss out on the rapture and have this to look forward to for waiting to make that choice.

A life worth living for is a life that lives beyond death. Believers will be justified in eternity. That is great news!

Revelation 6:10 ~ " They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"

This is a time when God's wrath will be given over the the judgment of the earth. We already know how many times we look around at the stuff going on in our lives or in the lives of the world and wonder how much longer before God comes to judge the wrong that seems to go on without any judgment. The time is coming. The Bible says that God will judge the earth in righteousness. That is why He is the Savior. We have to be saved from something in order to have a Savior!

These here that are sacrificed at the hands of an unbelieving world, are none other than the Tribulation saints. The Bible says that there will be a group so big that gets saved during that time, that no man can number them, and you might wonder how that happens if the church is removed during the rapture? How will the gospel be preached? The Lord has His ways.

(1) The testimony of the witnesses. This will play on the minds of people that these people were willing to die for Jesus. (2) The preaching of the two prophets that will come out of Jerusalem, that we will study later, (3) the witnessing of the 144,000. If you are a Jehovah's witness and are reading this today, you have been lied to. They believe that the first believers of the Jehovah witnesses movement were the 144.000 that get to go to heaven. If you are the 144,001, you don't get to go, you go to annihilation land and cease to exist. That is no where in the Bible. But here is the bigger problem, the Bible says that out of each of the 12 tribes of Israel, will produce 12,000 from each tribe. They are Jews. If you are a Jehovah witness today, and you're one of the 144,000, what tribe are you from? And don't forget to have to be Jewish. The Bible says in future studies into the book of Revelation, you have to be a man. A male who is a man. I have to make that distinction now a days with the way things are going, especially in California. You have to speak Hebrew, according to the Bible, and you have never been with a woman. You are a virgin! There has to be 12,000 from each tribe, so that totals 144,000, you got to a man, you got to be a virgin, you have to be Jewish and you have to speak Hebrew. You've been lied to by Charles Russel. That is called a cult.

God will get the word out through the 144,000. I've got another theory. When we get raptured, do you realize how many Bibles will be left behind? Do you have a Bible at your house? You get raptured and your Bible is sitting there at home wide open! Bibles will be found. Think of all the Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms everywhere! I believe more people will be reading the Bible during the Tribulation period than they do now. People are going to wonder what happened. Read the book. All the answers are in the Book!

In looking back at verse 10, in Revelation, we also learn that the believer will never die. Jesus says if a man believes in Him, he shall never die. For those of us that believe, Christians, that is why we have this title because we follow Christ, and by the way, if you are not following Christ, you are NOT a Christian. If you don't adhere to His teachings, you are not a Christian. If you adhere to them, you are labeled as a Christian. The Bible says that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Some people believe that if you are dying by some long drawn out process like cancer or persecution, we are bound by death. As a Christian, the moment your body stops existing in this life, in an instant you are in the presence of the Lord. Which means as the Scriptures say, that we pass from death to life. Which means if you get hit by a truck today, choke on a burger, or die of cancer, the moment that it happens, you are in God's presence! Do you understand that? We will not be held by the grave!

Our soul will immediately go to be with the Lord, and these bodies or space suits designed for earth will go into the ground, awaiting the Resurrection when the rapture happens! Think about that, if you die today as a believer, you will not be bound, locked up in some dark room, the grave will not hold us. As the room begins to darken around you as you're saying goodbye to your friends and loved ones, you won't have to worry what happens next or where you will be going. The Bible says, "to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord." In an instant, our last breath here is our first breath in heaven! That is the most wonderful news to any believer! Why are you NOT believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? The Bible says, "these things have been written so that you might know you have eternal life!" Our eternal life begins the moment we breathe our last breath here.

Do you have a seat reserved in heaven just for you? There is a way to get that reserved and that is to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior. The believer will never die the death. Our body stops breathing and we go into the presence of the Lord. A life worth dying for is a life that continues on with others forever. A life with Jesus Christ is guaranteed! Notice what was given and what was said to those Tribulation saints - believers during those seven years.

Revelation 6:11 ~ "Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."

Take notice of the words "white robes" it is different from what the church wears. The church does not simply have white robes, the church the Bible says, is given fine, white linen, marital gowns or a wedding dress. The Tribulation saints are given white robes, notice the difference. Life with Jesus is guaranteed. The white robe, is a declaration given to the believer of their purity. The Bible says "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So then how can we be made pure? The Bible says "that we are washed by the water of the Word of God."

Notice that the robes are given to them. Do you read that anyone could buy a robe? You can't buy them. Those of you that have given your lives to Jesus, you know that you are dressed for eternity when it comes to forgiveness regarding sin. You know it. You sense it. I am not stressing feelings, but you know that you have been accepted. What a great feeling to know that you are accepted by God. Based only on the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The Bible tells us that we will be in heaven with our brothers and sisters forever. Jesus Christ and this life He offers is guaranteed.

The verse goes on to say that they were told to "rest a little while longer." These means that they didn't have time to rest on earth, but rest has now been given to them. They are told to wait. Why? Because there is still time left in the Tribulation period, and other believers must die at that time. I am a firm believer that the church will be spared all of this and be raptured according to 1 Thessalonians 4, as promised by God. Life with Jesus makes perfect sense.

Revelation 6:11 ~ "Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."

These means that God knows exactly how many believers will die during the Tribulation period and when that last person is in heaven, that will be the conclusion of it. The word "completed" is a very powerful word. We know that the Bible says that the blindness of the nation of Israel from the gospel until the fullness of the Gentiles is completed and then God will deal with Israel again. There is an exact number of believers in the church age that God knows and when that last person comes to Him, that is it, then the rapture of the church will happen. Don't you want to know who that last person is so you could go witness to him.

Jesus has come to give us hope. A hope that makes perfect sense. That is why Jesus Christ came, to take us to heaven. To show us back to God. He taught us that we can't make it on our own. Jesus came to show us that we can't do anything to get to heaven. We can't live a perfect life. We were never made to do that. We are simply made to trust in Him and what He did for us. He lived a perfect life and met the requirements of God's law, so we would never have to be held back in the grave.

The Bible says that hell was created for Satan. The sensation of those who live there are alone, falling forever, flames of heat that never kill, worms that gnaw on you forever, but realize that this was never created for man. Those who wind up in hell will be those who choose to not accept Jesus.

Those who accept Jesus spend an eternity in heaven. Those who deny Him will make that choice to spend an eternity on their own terms, and will wind up in hell. Those who accept Jesus will spend their eternity in heaven forever with Jesus based solely not on what we do, but what He did to restore that right relationship between us and God. To remove sin from our lives through forgiveness by the blood of Jesus that washes us clean. We can't do anything to earn this right. Not living a great righteous life, doing kind deeds but only by accepting the free gift of having putting their faith in Jesus is the ONLY way. Not through faith in Mohammad, Buddha, or any other false god that the world offers you. Only faith in Jesus Christ and what He did is the ONLY WAY!

Why would anyone want to gamble with their eternity? Are you going to wait it out and see how it goes? You're gambling. You can be sure of eternal life, not guess. Don't you want to know that if you were die today where you would wind up? Jesus didn't die for you to guess where that will be.

A Warning about Miracles, Signs and Wonders!

So just how close are we to the rapture of the church and the Tribulation period? Definitely closer than we were yesterday. The one thing that has moved us that much closer is the creation of the nation of Israel for a second time, that occurred on May 14, 1948 and fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 66:8. That one event has set up a stop watch for the last days. How do we know that? Because the Bible says that there will come one who makes political promises. Notice that the Antichrist, the one we see in the Bible, riding a white horse, that we are going to be reading about today, don't mistake this for being Jesus. Read Revelation 6 carefully!

There is the impostor. The mock Messiah. He is the false Messiah. He is the Antichrist. He is going to come and Daniel 9 tells us, that he is the one that will come to make a peace treaty with the nation of Israel. The contract will be for 7 years and it will be for 7 years of peace. It will be anything but, and it will be deceptive. The nation of Israel and its leaders are going to go with that and follow that deception. So just how close are we?

Doesn't every politician seek to gain a peace treaty with Israel and its neighbors? Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, both President Bushes, and this is just God giving us a little heads up that there will be one who comes that will broker a peace treaty with Israel. To know where we are at, keep your eyes open, your Bible open, your mind on the news of what is happening in regards to the nation of Israel and the Middle East. A man will one day come that the Bible tells us that will pull off this peace treaty deal. Israel right now is so hated by most people.

There was a social experiment done on a college campus, where one man waved the ISIS flag in front of people and no one said anything. Then he did the same thing with the flag of Israel and he was mocked, spit on, made fun of, you name it. This is just a sign that what we are facing is a spiritual issue. (1) No one said anything about the ISIS flag, and what we need to understand is silence is agreement. If you don't speak up then you are agreeing with whatever is happening. No one out of fear says anything about the ISIS flag. That is just wrong. Yet when someone says something about the flag of Israel, they are immediately under attack and that is an indicator that something is out of balance. The reason is because this is spiritual. Why do you hate Israel? Why do you hate Jews? You are being lead demonically to that decision, and they hate the promises of God. I've included the link here just in a case you might be questioning whether this could honestly happen here in America. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOHJ06bsSow)

Revelation 6:1-2 ~ " I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." 

The issues we really want to pay attention to here are the words "white horse," "bow," and "crown." A lot of people mistake this for Jesus Christ. You might argue that the description here is the same as it is in Revelation 19, but that is wrong. In Revelation 19. the Bible says that Jesus has many crowns, and the word for "crowns" in Revelation 19, is the Greek word meaning "diadem." The absolute crown of an absolute ruler. The rider in Revelation 6, has a "crown" and in the Greek it means "stephanos," given to anyone who wins a heat in a race, or wins a battle in a war. This is not Jesus Christ.

We see that he is riding a "white horse," and a white horse was given to those who won a battle in ancient history. This first rider is the Antichrist riding a white horse.

Matthew 24:24 ~ "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible."

That is referring to those  converted during the Tribulation period. Jesus is saying that Satan will be so prevalent in the last days that there will be miracles done that will having nothing to do with the power of God it will be the power of Antichrist. We should be extremely concerned even with the state of current believers even today, that when a "miracle" happens, they will sacrifice Bible doctrine, to embrace a tortilla shell that has image on it or they will leave to head to other parts of the world, by hook or by crook, to worship some sort of a building that has an insignia on it, and if you put someone in front of it, they are healed. You might say, "Well what is wrong with that?" It's the message that follows these things. If people are getting healed by some abhorrition that is taking place in Central America some place, who is doing it, if the message after the healing is, "Yes! Jesus is one of the Saviors!"

If you know someone who is blind or needs a miracle, you will be desperate enough to be tempted to go and seek that healing. Will you sacrifice biblical truth so that this person might be healed or see again? You know that the doctrine is different than what the Bible teaches in order to get this healing, but you go anyway. You have been deceived. You might ask, "Well are all miracles wrong?" It depends on the message that accompanies that miracle! Is the message done by Almighty God and is Jesus the only one who gets all the glory and  honor? Or is His glory shared with another? What does the Bible say about that? "My glory I will not share with another."

Jesus warns that in the last days, it will be so powerful, these miracles and powers, that are not of God, that if it were possible, even My very chosen people would be deceived. But if you read it in its original context, it means that even His people, will not be deceived by what they see. That is very comforting.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 ~ "While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come upon them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

The answer is simply this, don't be fooled by people riding on white horses! You might hear of a ministry, evangelical service or a healing service coming to town, the false always has the mask, just a little bit crooked. They will test your faith and ask you to give everything you own, money, wealth in order to show just how much faith you have in God. "Just trust in God and have faith! Take out that money and put that in the offering. It's okay if it all you have left, because God will bless your faith!"

Why don't those guys stop it, put a sock in it and exercise faith themselves? Be careful! Does God heal? Absolutely! But God has convicted the hearts of those that do it, to never parade that around in front of people. It is usually done quiet and away from others, when people are prayed for. The first century church had a guideline for people like that, if they asked for money or to stay in your house, throw them out!

This Antichrist comes giving everything that the world wants. Why? He's fooling people and he's riding a white horse.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 ~ "And then the lawless one will be revealed, who the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy it by the splendor of his coming.The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonder, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing."

John 5:43 ~ "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him."

Jesus was speaking in both of these cases of the Antichrist. Another thing we learn in verse 2 of Revelation, don't be intimidated by the powers of evil.

Revelation 6:2 ~ "I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest."

This is really interesting, notice, he had a bow, but no arrows! Jesus doesn't carry a bow does He? Jesus comes forth out of heaven in Revelation 19 with a sword in His hand. The ancient scholars believe and Daniel backs it up, that he will first conquer through peace. He doesn't need arrows. He conquers through peace and treaties and that is exactly what Daniel says. For the first 3 1/2 years, he brings such peace and prosperity into the world that the people fall into a stupor.

" he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest," means he starts out winning small battles but they increase in size as he goes on, until he has won the world and that of popular opinion as well. This is the reason why this verse uses the word or form of conquer or conquest, twice.

Daniel 9:27 ~ "He (the Antichrist) will confirm (that is succeed where others have failed) a covenant (a league or agreement made with blood) with many (not only Israel, but their neighbors) for one 'seven' (years). In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to the sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple, he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

2 Thessalonians 2:10 ~ "and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." 

It means when they had opportunity, they didn't give their hearts to Christ when they had the chance.

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ~ " For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 

How does this happen? It talks about the coming of the Antichrist, and those people who had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, now perhaps even as you find yourselves reading this, they heard the gospel and willfully rejected it and then the rapture takes place. Some of you might be banking on this. You look at stuff and think to yourself when I see this stuff starting to take place, then I'll make the choice to get right or accept Jesus during the Tribulation Period.  But you won't have that chance according to 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 that we just looked at. You won't get the chance and not only that, you are worse off for waiting to do so. Why? Because you stood your ground while the opportunities came around and now you will won't be able to do so. That's frightening enough in the life of a believer. What about an unbeliever?

The ones that sit on church and hear about Jesus and the way to get to heaven through the acceptance of Jesus Christ and don't do anything about it. They blow it off and go play it off in the world for a while. They might even come to church on Sundays just to cover all their bases too! If that is you or you know someone like that, you better pray for them and tell them the truth. That they need to accept Jesus Christ today.

2 Corinthians 6:2 ~ "For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

But the choice must be yours. Jesus wants your life. He doesn't want it dead, but alive for Him. If that rapture takes place, and you've said, "No, no, no, no, no, no..." you will become like Pharoah and harden your heart and God will send you strong delusions and you believe the lie. What is that lie? That the Antichrist is God and will set himself up in the temple in Jerusalem. You will believe he is who he says he is.

The Antichrist that is coming as the rider on the white horse, comes with the opening of the first seal. The first rider and those that ride behind him bring havoc and mayhem to the world. Man's government, man's rule, man's control, left without the intervention of God, is destroyed by self. Think about this, Satan is deceiving and he's been attempting to ride into your life, and attempts to do so every day of your life on a white horse. Before we were Christians, he rode in quite willfully and freely, you could sin without thought. There was no difference in our lives. We schemed on how not to get caught. At some point in time, we began to have different thoughts and then we find Jesus and accept the gift of His salvation. We became converted and for some of us, those sins stopped immediately! Maybe you cussed like a sailor and now you don't. There are some people who don't work that quickly, but He does keep working in your life.

We can't even sin right anymore. When you have the Holy Spirit working in your life, you can't even sin right. We lose our joy or our light. When we backslide, and you can just tell by looking at them that something isn't right anymore. God will turn your back and it's time for you to get right with God again.

Are you feeling a little bit of pressure right now? Praise God, that is Him putting a calling on your life right now. Make that decision today while there is time, make that decision to accept Jesus before the delusion comes.

Acts 17:11 ~ " Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

This is how we should live our lives, not with an open mind but with an open Bible. Especially in these days that we are facing now. The deceiving and deceptive signs, wonder and miracles is already at work. The Scriptures warn us that these things are coming. Remember the battle of spiritual powers between Moses and Pharoah's staff. One origin was from God and one was from a false demonic origin. We have to be careful what miracles we accept. We follow the miracles to accept the false doctrine. It will increase and we need to make sure our faith is rooted in the Word of God.

Monday, we will take a look at the other riders that follow this one! You won't want to miss it. Hope you found this interesting and feel free to share with those that might need to hear it.