Midnight's Cry

Book excerpt: The night, or the possibility of Christ returning, begins when the night of the seven year Tribulation begins. To deny this, is to deny the earlier watches of the night (Mark 13:33 37), and the night itself the Day of the Lord. In this vein, the Day of the Lord is pictured as nighttime (1 Thess. 5:2), that is, before it dawns (2 Pet. 1:19). If the chapter division between 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5 is taken out, which doesn=t exist in the original manuscripts, we find that it is not a pre night Rapture that we are to be ready for, but a coming of the Lord as a thief in the night, wherein we are commanded to watch (1 Thess. 5:6 8) and keep our garments (Rev. 16:15). Ironically, the seven year Tribulation and the Day of the Lord both begin with birth pangs (Matt. 24:8; 1 Thess. 5:3) they are one in the same! Now Christians are told to earnestly expect the Day of the Lord in 2 Pet. 3:12 (The word hasting is really to earnestly expect in the Greek.). In suit, since Christians are still here once the Day begins the night (Christ also comes as a thief in the night: in Rev. 16:15), we are told to provoke one another to love and good works, even more so as we see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:24 25). Moreover, it is impossible for the literal salvation to take place before the Day of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 5:5; Philip. 1:6, 10; 2 Thess. 2:2 3), being before the Day of our Redemption (Eph. 4:30). The pre trib Rapture teaches that Christ=s initial coming will happen before the Day of the Lord; before the night (imminently), but conversely, the Word tells us, "Let no man deceive you by any means, for that Day shall not come (speaking of the Day of Christ) until there is a falling away and the man of sin is revealed. The point is, That Day will begin the beginning of the Tribulation; and again, both the Day of the Lord and the Tribulation begin the night, just as we find in Scripture (1 Thess. 5:1-3). Thus the Trump of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is not an anytime trump before the night, but the Last Trump of the Last Day (John 6:40), being the traditional Second Coming. Even the idea of the Lord returning with a shout, and the Trump of God, and the voice of Michael the Archangel clearly also testify of this, and these represent a battle cry. The irony is, that there is no battle at Christ's initial appearance (1 John 3:2), wherein again, we are COMMANDED to watch (1 Thess. 5:6 8) for His appearing and keep our garments (Rev. 16:15). The Day of the Lord, wherein Christ initially returns, again, has the attributes of nighttime (Luke 17:34; Mark 13:35; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10 14; Rev. 2:1, 16:15), that is, before it dawns (2 Pet. 1:19). Thus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star, the sign of the Son of man at the traditional Second Coming or the first light after the NIGHT the dawning of the That Day (2 Pet. 1:19) when the God man returns at the Second Coming with all of His saints (1 Thess. 3:13, 4:14; Jude 14). Indeed, it is That Day, that is, its prior night segment that we are to look for (Heb. 10:24 25), that will come upon the world and much of the Church as a thief in the night (Luke 21:36; 1 Thess. 5:3). Indeed, it is That Day, as Peter Greek-wise tells us, to earnestly expect (1 Pet. 3:12). Indeed, it is That Day when literal redemption will take place (1 Cor. 5:5). Indeed, it is the Day of Christ (2 Thess. 2 3), being the Day of Jesus Christ (Philip. 1:6, 10)BBbeing the Day of our Redemption (Eph. 4:30)! Speaking of the Day of the Lord, it begins when there is a Great Apostasy, and that the Man of sin is revealed to the Body of Christ (2 Thess. 2:2 3), that is, when the Antichrist confirms (Hebrew: insolently prevails) the Old Covenant and/or the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in a peace movement (Such will cause great