Revelation(s) for the Rapture-Ready: Second Edition

By Charles E. Saunders

For the inquiring reader who senses that the "catching up" of the Church is imminent, I guarantee that this book will challenge many of the conventional constructs on the subject. Written in an easy, layman-like, and personable format, you will not be encumbered with deep theological terminology and extra-biblical references used by many. You will be asked to go with me as I dismantle what people have made complicated by restoring a basic TRUTH: that the books of Genesis and Revelation are, indeed "bookends," and one must "grasp the one without letting go of the other in order to come forth with both of them."

My hope is that my presentation will advance and affirm the love and commitment that God has for His chosen people (the Jews), His adopted people (the Gentiles), and the whole world that He sent His Son to redeem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098062682

Book preview

Why Another Study Guide on the Book of Revelation?

As I embarked on the writing of this book, the last thing I wanted to accomplish was to simply add another entry to the pile of books written on the subject. I do not pretend to be a biblical scholar and one who has earned accolades from academia. I am unlearned in both the disciplines of Greek and Hebrew linguistics, and my Bible training is limited to a smattering of evening courses I took years ago immediately following my receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. And whereas the Apostle Paul is the champion and standard for many theologians, my heroes are the undecorated and unvarnished—Peter and his brother, Andrew.

So on the contrary, my curriculum, if you want to use that term, is and has been a consistent, daily, and organic assimilation of God’s Word over a forty-six-year period. Ever since my conversion, I have avidly fed on the Scriptures, devouring the entire sixty-six books, and reading each verse buried in the middle of Leviticus as if it was John 3:16. Every name found in the Bible I did my best to pronounce as close to the correct sound as possible, realizing that if God thought so much of that person, then I should share in that enthusiasm. And over these many years, this lifestyle of reading in short spells, meditating, sharing, and discussion has forged someone who loves to teach others and who feels validated in doing so. This validation brings me more joy than I can describe, and on occasion, friends and even strangers would approach me and confirm that God has truly gifted me in the motivational gift of teaching.

Then, too, the teaching profession has had a long reach into my family tree, especially on my mother’s side. She and one of her brothers were classroom legends, and my grandfather was a college professor. Mindful of this legacy as a young man, I fled from that inexorable call upon my life for years a la Jonah the prophet. And it wasn’t until I had spent twenty years in the private sector in the construction industry as a restoration contractor that I finally surrendered and willingly got caught in the dragnet. To compensate for the lost time (lost time is not a good choice of words in that I discovered vast seams of street wisdom in dealing with employees, clients, and competitors that were relevant to teaching teens soon to be out in the marketplace), the Lord saw fit to thrust me into an inner-city school filled with tough kids who had no scruples against running an unprepared teacher out of the building.

To add to this improbable success story, I hadn’t a lick of formal teaching or training and only had a BS degree in biology, which I had no interest in teaching. My passion was history and geography, and I was determined to begin my new career (at the tender age of fifty) as a social studies teacher. So I did, and nearly fifteen years later, I retired from that district on my terms and presently am luxuriating in my new career as a substitute teacher in Virginia.

Now remember, in the preface, I alluded to the background of researching for material about Revelation and that I was asked by my church members to teach them a book that they had little knowledge of. So if I can cast the responsibility on any one thing, it would be this: I signed up to teach my class this subject, and in doing so, I got caught up in the vision to a certain extent as the Apostle John once did. And that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Yet, still the fear of crying wolf and shouting, The sky is falling in! looms precariously over my thoughts. This I cannot deny. For years and years, as far back as over 100 years ago, Christian zealots have been predicting the end of the world and the coming of Christ. To these well-intending souls, we can offer a wide berth of forgiveness in that they had not been privy to global developments that have occurred more recently. For those who have posited their ETAs of His return in the last few decades and have been proven wrong, I am not so sympathetic. To attempt to pin down the very day, week, month or even year is a sure guarantee that you are operating in presumption and not of faith.

Boundaries established by the words of Christ concerning this subject must be adhered to in order to hold back thy servant from presumptuous sins (Psalm 19:13). When asked the question by the disciples when the end would come, He set two ground rules: Yes, you should keenly observe the seasons to determine His return (Matthew 24:32); and no! You must never expect to know the day or the hour (Matthew 24: 36). That answer is off-limits; in fact, neither the angels nor Jesus could answer a unique secret that the Father kept to Himself.

To safeguard lapsing into this fallacy, I hold up four indicators or criteria that must be in operation interactively:

The biblical timeline with its designated benchmarks;

The establishment of the nation Israel and her matriculation since;

The relations between God’s select nations, Israel and the USA;

The confirmation of the pre-tribulation rapture message and a simple pre-algebraic expression to sum it up.

Now let’s take a more detailed look at each one of these factors.

The biblical timeline is the missing link that many theologians aspiring to draw conclusions have failed to factor in for. Two important inquiries must be considered in order to make an accurate estimate when Christ returns. First one has to be reconciled to the fact that Genesis and Revelation are intended to be bookends. To make an exit strategy that illustrates Christ’s return, you have to accept the Genesis account of creation along with the Great Flood that establishes the entrance strategy that makes a clear starting point to when it all began. Why is this important, you ask? Because sandwiched between the Beginning and the End, in both the Old and New Testaments, is a timeline that underscores the totality of events addressed throughout the biblical text.

This timeline spanning around 6,000 years is a recapitulation of the Creation Week outlined in Genesis chapter 1. Here we find that the earth, along with its living organisms, was created by the spoken Word of God. Included in this amazing week was the creation of the sun, moon, and stars. In other words, the entire universe!

These six days were literal twenty-four-hour rotational cycles followed by the day of rest when God, satisfied with his workmanship, rested from His labors. How this connects with all that has transpired since that first week can be found in 2 Peter 3:8, which states, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. So in summary, the world was created in six twenty-four-hour days and has unfolded also in six one-thousand-year cycles. From God’s perspective (remember, according to Ephesians 2:6, we are seated with Him there!), each 1,000-year epoch represents what we refer to as a day in the work week. By referring to the illustration section after the Abridged Version, you can better see the breakdown of each day and the events that defined each day (a one-thousand-year epoch). Some of these defining moments may not be precise, I will admit, but to my best ability, I have laid out His Divine Calendar.

The spotlight on Israel and observing her development among the nations is the next criterion. Using our newfound jargon just introduced at the dawn of Wednesday (2,000 years after Creation) on God’s work week, Abraham, the Father of the Jewish nation, entered into a covenant with God. Thus, this unique establishment of Israel for all time designated this people as the focal point for all that takes place on earth (hence the expression, A father of many nations have I called you). Today, as we ponder the next chain of occurrences soon to take place, we need not go any further than checking the Divine Barometer: the nation Israel. Remember, whereas it is taboo to announce the day or the hour of His appearing, observing the seasons is strongly encouraged.

In Matthew 24:32–33, Jesus tells His disciples, Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is right at the door.

At this point, I would like to inform you that Israel is always symbolized in the Bible as a fig tree. To follow this stream of thought, in 1948, she was planted once again in the promised land. Nearly twenty years later (1967), she entered adulthood when, after being attacked by the neighboring United Arab Republic, she not only held her own, she actually gained valuable land ceded by her defeated foes. In other words, her shoots became tender.

In the ensuing years, Israel has stood strong against mounting opposition, not only by her neighbors, but on a global scale. Roundly condemned by the United Nations in her relations with the Palestinian nation embedded within her boundaries and threatened by militant Muslim nations in the Middle East, they remain steadfast with their policies. And they continue to grow and prosper; their population has increased from around six million in 2000 to nearly nine million today (a 33 percent increase). And in May of 2018 she celebrated her seventieth birthday! Why is that number so significant? Because it symbolizes the restoration of all things: Nothing broken, nothing missing!

What that means specifically is anyone’s guess; but we know that it conveys blessings of an unprecedented order. In Luke 21:32, Jesus said (referring to the Tribulation saints, I believe) that, Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. This scripture holds multiple meanings, but in this instance, it is brimming with great prosperity, might, and a beacon of hope to the entire world. More than ever, the world’s attention will be attentive to her status. This is so important to God that this declaration was voiced again in verbatim in Matthew 24:32!

The uniqueness of yet another nation close to God’s heart brings us to the third consideration. Some of my progressive readers might be offended by this, but allow me to state my case. After decades of being tepid at best in regards to relations with Israel by both the Democratic and Republican parties, November 8 of 2016 changed all that. Our current president has implemented many much-needed reforms, some of them instantly beneficial, and others where the jury is still out. Trade balance, energy independence, national security, the economy, immigration, and military augmentation each have their roles in this recovery.

But according to the Word, the key element of revival and favor with God for this country lies in this dynamic: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you. (Psalms 122:6) When President Trump declared that the US would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, it sent out a firestorm of protests and objections. This decision is really the tip of the iceberg in regards to these two countries’ oath of friendship and support. And as courageous leadership always imparts, gradually, other nations are following the script. It may not seem fair in light of some of Israel’s severe handling of the Palestinians and in the fact that many Israelis are not truly spiritually alive. This I will admit. But we must try to look at things from God’s prospective.

Israel is the only nation that has cut a covenant with God. He is faithful even when His chosen people are not as they struggle to live up to their end of the deal. He is willing to see them through His righteousness! As Christians, we certainly can appreciate that kind of relationship. We lean on His grace, continuously reminding ourselves that we, too, are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)! And it seems that our president, whether he realizes it or not, is acting like one who is approaching Israel just like God is. Hence, the United States of America is on a path never realized before, a path of immense favor and prosperity where our blessings overtake us!

In the next few years, I predict that we will enjoy our golden age for all the world to see as our partnership with Israel strengthens and our country fulfills a dream that God had when He established her 400 years ago. And as you continue your reading of this book, you will understand that (very likely) the Lord will descend among the cloud of angels and call us up in what is called the Rapture. When some 30–40 percent of Americans vanish, the remaining left behind, lacking in these aforementioned values, including loyalty to Israel, will find themselves spiraling into a state of irrelevance on the global scene. Indeed, there is a reason why the USA is conspicuously missing where the Scriptures delineate the order of things when the Tribulation begins. The heart and soul of our country will have changed addresses and fill the throne room in heaven while beholding the goings on in the world below. If this piques your curiosity, wait until you read in more detail the events chronicled later on in this book!

To sum up, Israel and her pal, the US, will experience a glorious exit from planet Earth stage. We here in the States will go out in a blaze of glory, spanning a few years; Israel, on the other hand, will eventually revel in a thousand-year party where they will rule with their rediscovered Messiah, Christ Jesus, during the Millennium. Abraham will smile broadly, having seen the covenant kept to the very end.

The pre-tribulation rapture position is head and shoulders above the other points of view, both of which delay the Rapture until either the midway point when the Great Tribulation begins or that the Rapture occurs when the Tribulation is over. I’ll not spend much time arguing against these contrasting views except to remind the reader that in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, the entrance of the Antichrist precludes the advent of the Tribulation, and that his appearing is pending the evacuation (apostasy) of the church due to the Rapture.

Further discussion will lend additional support for this school of thought.

So with the pre-tribulation format confirmed as a valid assumption, we now can focus on other variables. Using our timeline formula, we can estimate the year of Creation to be around BC 4000. Christ was born around 2,000 years ago, and around 1,100 years later, the Crusades began. Now here’s where the fun begins… And I really believe that God purposely intended for us to play the Proverbs 25:2 game—It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out the matter!

The benchmarks that represent days are not a precise science. There is probably a plus or minus fifty years one must consider when gauging time here. This vagueness will suppress any attempts to sharpen the pencil and draw up a precise date. And, of course, we need a finish line to establish the extent of this timeline. That will be the onset of the Millennium. By way of introduction, the Millennium is exactly what it says it is—a one-thousand-year period. In this particular case, it is the promised one-thousand-year reign of Christ when He joins His chosen people and those Gentile saints who join the family of God during the Tribulation. In keeping with our new terminology, the Millennium is actually the last day of the Creation week; in other words, The Lord’s Day. We will see that name when we study chapter 1 of Revelation.

In summary, we realize that we have reached the evening of the sixth day. Only the Father knows when the seven-year clock of the Tribulation will begin ticking. As Israel reaches full maturity (her leaves are shooting out) and the Golden Age of America is launched: Time to get Rapture Ready!

An Overview of the First Three Chapters of Revelation

Introduction

It is widely accepted that the book of Revelation is divided into three dispensations. The first three chapters are restricted to the Church Age beginning in the first century. The remaining chapters cover the Age of Judgment and finally the Millennium, with the final chapter opening up the door of eternity in heaven.

However, what I believe has been overlooked by many is that the churches described in chapters 2 and 3 do have relevance beyond the Church Age, especially during the first half of the Tribulation. This consideration actually came to me while I began writing this book. At that time, I acquiesced to the popular interpretation of the seven churches to be referring primarily to the actual churches found in Asia Minor in the first century and secondarily of the condition of the Church up until the present. At this point, however, I must admit that I had reached an impasse. In all the years that I have heard well-intending teaching and preaching of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, I cannot recall going away with any substantive application enhancing our lives either personally or corporately in regards to our Christian walk, especially when you hold it up to the other epistles. In fact, the only verse that has been used frequently, especially for evangelical reasons, is Revelation 3:20, and in its context, it is clearly referring to wayward Christians who needed restoration to Christ.

Of course, using it as a witnessing tool is not inappropriate. In fact, I was led to the Lord upon hearing and receiving it! But getting back to my position statement, the bulk of these two chapters are indeed interesting but very difficult to personalize. What strikes me especially peculiar is that the discourse among the seven churches cited in chapters 2 and 3 is significantly different from the churches that Paul ministered to earlier in the first century. The New Testament churches had their share of issues that Paul needed to address along with strengths that he commended them for. But the scenario among John’s churches seems to be of a state of higher alert with false prophets attacking within and persecution to the point of martyrdom pressing from outside. It’s as if over a thirty-year period of time, the first century that Paul addresses is relatively trouble-free in comparison with the situation John finds himself toward the end of the century. This disparity of conditions opens the door to considering that we are not merely talking about a few decades in the first century. Rather, it is quite reasonable to imagine the churches in Revelation are from a different time altogether, a time that we have not even reached nearly two millennia in the future.

This is the very point that I’m trying to make! I realize that I represent a small minority of teachers who adhere to this theory, but I also believe that as the Spirit leads more and more pastors, teachers, writers, and even laypeople like myself to focus on the Rapture and the book of Revelation that more and more will arrive to a similar conclusion. Remember, John had the unique experience of being translated through a time warp some 2,000 years into the future. His perspective would have enabled him to chronicle happenings that have yet to emerge even up to our times. By surveying the landscape of spiritual communities after the Rapture, he could conceivably have interjected activities that on the surface would be pertaining to two separate sets of churches. That is, the seven churches historically found in Asia Minor in the first Century and then the spiritual communities (I don’t use the term church because of the special set of circumstances they will face at that time).

Granted, it is true that we all can profit from studying this entire book; but the believers that emerge during the Tribulation will be directly impacted by the horrific events described in the three series of judgments, while we who are either awakened or raptured will be securely positioned in the heavenly places, far removed from the goings on below. So although it at first seems that John is in fact referring to the seven churches that he was an overseer of in Asia Minor in his Age, in reality, what would be familiar to him (and we the