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The days of Noah
In the Bible, Jesus compared the condition of humanity at His return to the time preceding the Noahic flood.
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
– Matthew 24:37-39
The Bible categorizes three groups of people in Noah’s day:
- Enoch, who escaped the wrath of God completely
- Noah and his family, who were carried through the judgment sealed in the ark
- The rest of the world, who were destroyed in the worldwide flood
These three groups represent those present at the end of the age, at the harvest of souls:
- Believers known collectively as the Church and referred to by Christ as the Bride. This group, like Enoch, will completely miss the time of judgment.
- The nation of Israel and those converted to Christ during the judgment. They will be sealed in Him as Noah was sealed in the ark and carried through this time until Christ’s second coming in glory.
- The rest of humanity, who have rejected Christ. They will receive the full cup of God’s wrath for their unbelief.
The Bride will be removed before God’s wrath comes upon the earth.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:9
…hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?
– Revelation 6:16-17
God’s people have suffered tribulation and trial for millennia from the hand of the evil one and his servants. But the wrath of God is reserved for His enemies.
Why did Jesus use the imagery of a bride and groom to describe His Church?
Much of the meaning behind Scripture is lost if not considered within the context of Jewish culture. Christ’s use of the imagery of the Jewish marriage provides a stunning understanding of terms like bride and groom to describe our relationship to Him. It reveals the prophetic plan for His people and why the rapture is central to the prophetic timeline.
Nothing is by chance in God’s redemptive plan.
It was not an accident that Jesus is described in Scripture as the Bridegroom and the Church as His bride. These are not just poetic pictures. In His Word, God has explained Christ and the relationship to His people in the symbolism of the Jewish wedding, and particularly the Galilean wedding tradition. His first disciples, who were Galileans, would have been very familiar with these traditions. A comparison of them with Jesus’ promises to His believers reveal a breathtakingly similar parallel:
- In the ruins of Galilean towns, archaeologists have discovered the presence of insulas, clusters of buildings built around a central courtyard and shared by families. When a son wanted to marry, he traveled to another village, betrothed a wife, and returned to the family insula alone to build new rooms in the complex for him and his prospective bride.
*Jesus refers to this imagery in John 14:2-3:
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
– John 14:2-3
- The groom’s father sent his son to the bride’s house to pay her dowry and arrange the betrothal. The betrothal was complete with the ketubah, or binding marriage contract, which outlined the duties and responsibilities of both parties in the marriage. The Jewish ketubah is still used today in various forms.
To finalize the betrothal, the groom poured a glass of wine, called the Cup of Joy, and offered it to the bride-to-be. The betrothal would only go forward if she accepted the cup from him. The choice was hers. If she drank from the cup, she accepted his offer of marriage and sealed their betrothal. From then on, she was declared one “bought with a price,” indicating she belonged to one man and was not available to any other. The groom declared the bride to be consecrated to him and promised not to drink wine again until the day he could drink it with her in his father’s house.
*Father God sent His Son Jesus to earth to pay the redemption cost to make her His Bride. In doing so, He entered a new covenant with His people.
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”
– Luke 22:20
And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
– Mark 14:23-25
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
– Acts 20:28
- After the betrothal, the son returned to his father’s insula to prepare a home for the couple. This process usually took about a year.
*Jesus returned to His Father in heaven after His resurrection.
And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.
– Luke 24:50-51
- Only the father and head of the insula had the authority to declare the new addition complete. Not even the son knew when it would be considered ready for his bride.
*Only God the Father knows the day of Christ’s return for His church.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
– Matthew 24:36
- While the bride awaited the groom’s return for her at an unknown hour, she cleansed herself in a ritual bath to be presented as a pure bride and dressed in her wedding garments to await his coming. Tradition shows she even slept in her wedding dress to be ready for him at any time.
*God’s people remain in our earthly home, purified by the blood of the Son of God, and await His return for us. We don’t know the day or hour of His return, only that He has promised to come for us.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
– 1 John 3:3
- At the hour of the father’s choosing, he awakened the groom and groomsmen in the night and released him to claim his bride. The bride and her attendants were to be dressed and ready for his coming at any time, their lamps ready for the moment.
*Jesus commanded His church to be ready for his coming at any time.
But at midnight there was a shout, “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”
– Matthew 25:6
Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
– Matthew 25:12
- The groom’s return was preceded by a shout to alert the bride. The bride was carried to her new home in a litter, symbolically lifted from the ground and borne aloft. This action was referred to as “flying the Bride to the Father’s house.”
*Jesus will come for us with a shout of victory and carry us away to His Father’s mansion.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
– 1 Thess. 4:16-17
The Rapture of the Church is not an outdated myth, 19th century invention, or outrageous escape plan.
It is the consummation of a love story written by God Himself. Be on the lookout, for the Bridegroom is coming.
Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Photo 24756065 | Bride © Nataliya Pylayeva | Dreamstime.com
Coming next week: At the Bottom of the World
Learn more about Blood Falls the book at bloodfalls.net
This weekly series follows the story line of the Christian thriller Blood Falls. Each episode occurs in chronological order, giving context, perspective, and Biblical foundation for the novel. Discover the true stories and incredible facts behind the book! See the entire series here: https://cmaddict.com/tag/behind-blood-falls/
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What is the Rapture? Is the idea Biblical?
There is ample evidence in Scripture of a pre-tribulation Rapture, or “snatching away,” of believers before God’s prophesied judgment upon the earth known as the Tribulation. In recent years the doctrine has fallen into disfavor by those preaching various versions of the heresy that the Church has replaced Israel and that she must develop a theocratic government on Earth which will receive Christ from heaven. Others believe in the doctrine of the Rapture but argue for a mid or post Tribulation timeline.
Isn’t the idea of a “rapture” just some theory started in the 1830’s?
Detractors of the Rapture doctrine claim a man named J.N. Darby developed the theory in 1830 and was heavily influenced by others. A more careful review of the facts reveals a different story. Darby’s beliefs coalesced during December of 1827 through January of 1828 as he convalesced from injuries suffered in an accident. While he recuperated, he studied the Scriptures.
He didn’t invent the idea of the Rapture. He helped bring the doctrine to light.
People forget the Bible was not commonly accessible for individual study for centuries. The official Bible was the Latin Vulgate, and church services were conducted in Latin. Though vernacular copies existed in other languages in Europe, no English version existed until William Tyndale produced a translation in 1526. For this gift to humanity, he was executed.
Though the traditional date of the Reformation is October 31, 1517—the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany—Luther was not the first of the reformers. Men like Wycliffe, Erasmus, Francis of Assisi, and Lefevre unlocked the Word of God for individual and corporate study, launching an era of new understanding of the Bible. We owe much of our freedom to access the Scriptures and the abundance of knowledge within its pages to the sacrifices of these believers.
Not only can the concept of a “snatching away” of believers be found in Scripture, it’s introduced in the first book of the Bible.
The Enoch Generation
Jesus taught about the last days from the book of Genesis.
The Bible speaks clearly of an event just preceding the beginning of the seven years of God’s judgment—the Tribulation—that will come upon the earth. This event has significant basis in Scripture, beginning with Noah’s flood.
Why do we start all the way back in Genesis?
For one thing, Jesus taught His disciples that the condition of the world before His second coming would be like the days of Noah. To understand what is coming, we must take the biblical account, study it, and learn.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
– 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Since all of God’s Word is in the Bible to instruct and train us, we should be able to discover meaning even in its cryptic verses. In Genesis 5:24 we read about a man called Enoch.
Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
– Genesis 5:24
If all Scripture is inspired and important for our instruction, what can we learn from Enoch?
The New Testament tells us Enoch was a prophet. He looked forward to the day of the Lord’s return to bring justice to earth. He was the great-grandfather of Noah. He was the father of Methuselah, whose name some believe can be translated “when he dies, it shall come.” Methuselah died the year the flood came.
By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
– Hebrews 11:5
Before God brought judgment upon the earth, Enoch disappeared without a trace. He did not die. He was “taken up” by God.
It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
– Jude 1:14-15
Enoch was a righteous man who believed in, preached about, and looked forward to the day God would come and make all things right. He prophetically named his son one whose death would occur just before a judgment fell. He walked with God, never experienced death, and disappeared from Earth before the flood.
What does all this mean?
It means Enoch represents something, or someone. That someone is the Church, the Bride of Christ. Just before judgment falls upon the earth, Jesus will resurrect and gather all those throughout history who have taken Him as their Savior. We call this event the Rapture.
I’ve been told the word “rapture” isn’t in the Bible.
Many who doubt the validity of the Rapture are quick to point out the word isn’t in the English Bible. As others have noted, this is hardly a reason to reject the principle, since the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible yet is a foundational tenet of the Christian faith. Not even the word “Bible” is found in the Bible.
The word we describe as the Rapture comes from the Latin words rapere, meaning “rapid,” and rapiemur, meaning “we shall be caught up.” These are the words found in the Latin Vulgate used by the Catholic Church. But the original Greek verb harpazo from which the Latin word was taken means “to snatch or catch away.” It is the word God used to describe those snatched up and set in another place. Examples of this “snatching away” are in Acts 8:39-40; 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 12:5.
People were “raptured” in these biblical accounts.
The passage in Acts 8:39-40 is especially revealing. In that account, the disciple Philip had just preached the Gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch gladly received the good news and asked to be baptized. Philip accommodated him, baptizing him on the spot in a nearby body of water.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus….
– Acts 8:39-40
In the same way, believers will be “snatched away” to meet Christ in the air. An important difference is that the Rapture involves the resurrection and carrying away of all believers, living and dead, whereas Philip was one man moved to another location without receiving a new body.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will
be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we shall always be with the Lord.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Photo 122007121 © Dakotastudios | Dreamstime.com
Coming next week: Behold the Bridegroom
Learn more about Blood Falls the book at bloodfalls.net
This weekly series follows the story line of the Christian thriller Blood Falls. Each episode occurs in chronological order, giving context, perspective, and Biblical foundation for the novel. Discover the true stories and incredible facts behind the book! See the entire series here: https://cmaddict.com/tag/behind-blood-falls/
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Listen to this article
Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.
God to Abram
-Genesis 15:1
You probably still know the song by heart.
Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you. So let’s just praise the Lord.
Most of us remember singing that little song in Sunday school or VBS, probably comprehending neither who Abraham was nor why he was our “father.”
Let’s just praise the Lord.
That, at least, was something our kiddie minds could get behind.
It turns out Abraham was well-qualified to represent the generations of believers who follow in his footsteps –stumbling, fumbling, questioning, falling, rising, lurching forward every step of the way across the deserts of life toward the only One who could quench the soul’s hunger.
A man of significant contrasts, Abraham swung like a pendulum between great courage and conniving cowardice. A man of integrity, he nevertheless fudged the truth and accepted a different spin on it when it suited him. So very, very human, he was.
How did he ever obtain such favor with God? We read the answer in the first verse of the great faith chapter of Hebrews 11:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.
The rest of the chapter remembers his faith walk, not his failures, for posterity, clothed in a righteousness graced through his faith in God and His Word. This he neither earned by being good nor lost by sinning.
To be sure, he hurt himself and others when he fell.
He was not identified by his failures, however, but by his determination to believe in a good heavenly Father despite every disappointment and sorrow. He reached for a holy city beyond the senses. He yearned to get it right. God saw his heart and counted him a child of the King.
Just like us, swinging between courage and cowardice in a desperate age. Hungry for God. Needing grace.
Abraham’s child.
Photo 32661665 © Gryzeva | Dreamstime.com
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One of the most beautiful national cemeteries in the United States lies in a dormant volcanic crater.
The Punchbowl, an oval volcanic crater in which sits the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, rises 461 feet above sea level on the island of Oahu, offering breathtaking views of Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and Honolulu. It is thought to have been formed by the ancient ejection of lava from coral beds at the foot of Ko’olau Mountain Range on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
This crater has a long human history. Its Hawaiian name is Puowaina, most often translated as the Hill of Sacrifice. Here, early Oahu natives sacrificed the offenders of certain taboos as human offerings to their gods. When the army of Kamehameha the Great invaded Oahu in May of 1795, the natives made Puowaina their stronghold. They were unable to defend the island against the army, however, and Kamehameha conquered Oahu, unifying the islands in 1810. During his reign, two cannons sat at the rim of the crater and were fired to celebrate important occasions.
The slopes of Puowaina opened to outside settlement in the late 1880’s, and the Hawaii National Guard used it for a rifle range during the 1930’s. Shore batteries were installed upon its rim during World War II to defend Honolulu Harbor and the southern edge of Pearl Harbor.
In February of 1948, Congress approved the funding for a cemetery to hold the remains of war dead from World War II’s Pacific Theater. On January 4, 1949, an unknown American soldier killed in the Pearl Harbor attack was buried there, and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific opened to the public on July 19, 1949. This beautiful memorial park to America’s war heroes now contains the remains of more than 53,000 souls, and more than five million people visit the park each year.
Who Is Lady Justice?
Crowning one wall of Puowaina Crater and within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific stands a Court of Honor, comprising a nonsectarian chapel and two map galleries. At the center of the court near the head of a massive stone stairway, the statue “Lady Justice” stands majestically upon a symbolic ship prow, holding a laurel branch in one hand. She is known variously as Lady Columbia, Lady Liberty, or Lady Justice.
Most of us are familiar with the drawings of Uncle Sam, the congenial, bearded gent who symbolized America dressed in a red, white, and blue suit and top hat. Before Uncle Sam graced recruitment posters, early America was represented by a woman named “Amèrique.” The depiction of America as “Lady Columbia” began in 1697 when Chief Justice Samuel Sewall of the Massachusetts Bay Colony suggested the name Columbina (a feminized version of Columbus) for the colonies.
The name evolved into Columbia in a poem written by former slave Phillis Wheatley and was used during succeeding wars. The anthem “Hail, Columbia” was America’s unofficial anthem until the adoption of the “Star Bangled Banner” in 1931.
The 19th century saw the rise of “Lady Liberty” associated with the Statue of Liberty and the popularization of Uncle Sam.
Coming next week: The Enoch Generation
Learn more about Blood Falls the book at bloodfalls.net
This weekly series follows the story line of the Christian thriller Blood Falls. Each episode occurs in chronological order, giving context, perspective, and Biblical foundation for the novel. Discover the true stories and incredible facts behind the book! See the entire series here: https://cmaddict.com/tag/behind-blood-falls/
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Welcome to this weekly series following the story line of the Christian thriller Blood Falls. Each episode occurs in chronological order, giving context, perspective, and Biblical foundation for the novel. Discover the true stories and incredible facts behind the book! See the entire series here: https://cmaddict.com/behindbloodfalls/
What Is Blood Falls About?
A longtime Bible student who loves the book of Revelation, Pam joins a generation of hungry believers awaiting the Lord’s return in this tense hour of world history. She rode out the forced isolation of the recent pandemic and unrelated health issues at the computer crafting her first novel of the Apocalypse. Her goal was to offer a contemporary, real-world, and Bible-based scenario of last days events as presented through the lens of an engaging fictional thriller.
Pam Thorson’s new Christian novel Blood Falls weaves Revelation prophecies and rich settings into a fast-paced novel of the Tribulation. Within its pages lies murder, mystery, end-times intrigue, and an unexpected twist. Spanning the Frozen Continent to the Lost City, this book will entertain, inspire, and challenge today’s reader.
Why another novel about the end times?
The Apocalypse is coming, and it’s going to be a big deal. What we do with the news may well determine our futures.
We often think of apocalypse as an end-of-the-world catastrophe leading to a dystopian society. The word invokes visions of zombie flash mobs and aliens warring under yellow skies.
The Biblical word, however, means no such thing.
Our English word comes from the Greek apokàlypsis, or revelation. The last book of the Bible is introduced by the apostle John as the Apocalypse, or Revelation, of Jesus Christ to the world.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place….
-John 1:1
The Apocalypse is the reveal.
John gave this revelation to the bond-servants of the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim to all humanity, as evidenced by its inclusion in the inspired Word of God. The Lord entrusted it first to His followers with the implicit command to share it with any who will hear His important warning of events to come.
Though much within its pages is fearsome, God offers comfort and hope to those who believe in Him. The Revelation is the only book of the Bible conferring a blessing to the reader who hears and takes its words to heart. People often run from reading it because it is hard to understand. So many grotesque theories have been attached to the concept of Jesus’ second coming as to create a caricature of the transformative reality presented within its pages.
The last book of the Bible proclaims God’s coming judgments upon a world in rebellion. More importantly, it reveals the heart of a Creator making His final appeal to those for whom He loved enough to die. The world may not need another end times novel. It does need the message of coming judgment and a chance for redemption while the door is still open.
Revelation can be understood. What you discover will change your life and fill you with hope.
God will bless you for taking Him seriously.
Where Is Blood Falls?
Blood Falls is a real place. It sits at the so-called “tongue” of Taylor Glacier in one of the dry valleys of the Transarctic Range in Antarctica. The falls were discovered by geoscientist Griffith Taylor in 1911.
It’s not oozing blood, though. It just looks like it.
Until the 1960’s, researchers believed the red water seeping out from under the ice at Taylor Glacier was caused by algae, much like that responsible for other natural phenomenon such as the “blood rain” of Spain, India, and Sri Lanka, and red tides around the world.
Now they know that’s not the case.
They believe East Antarctica was once flooded with sea water, forming a large lake of brine. At some point in time, Taylor Glacier formed over the underground lake, trapping it 1312 feet (400 meters) underground and creating a time capsule of the strange world dubbed “Dark Eden.”
Dark Eden
Within this subglacial pool lies a fascinating array of microbes—seventeen species so far—which exist no place else on Earth. These microbes metabolize sulfates and ferric irons.
As the water freezes out of the lake to form ice, the lake becomes saltier. Today, the salt content of this subglacial lake is three times saltier than sea water.
This salty, oxygen-free water isn’t red until it reaches the surface of the glacier through a fissure. When the iron reacts with the oxygen in the air, it oxidizes and turns a color ranging from rust to blood-red, much like the process causing our own blood to turn red when exposed to air.
The red saltwater snakes down a five-story ledge of ice and across rocky terrain into nearby Lake Bonney, creating the impressive “blood falls” effect.
Coming next week: A Cemetery in a Dead Volcano?
Learn more about Blood Falls the book at bloodfalls.net
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Arrow, Idaho, June 5, 2023 – The award-winning Christian thriller “Blood Falls” by Pam Thorson is now available for purchase at Amazon.com.
Death stalks the streets. Looting and rioting decimate the cities. Store shelves sit empty as citizens hoard supplies and water. Nations seethe in unrest.
The year? Pick a recent date. World events have rocked our planet, created palpable anxiety, and fueled new hunger to understand the coming Apocalypse as revealed in the Bible. Pam Thorson’s novel “Blood Falls” weaves Revelation prophecies and rich settings into a fast-paced novel of the Tribulation after the Rapture.
“Blood Falls” is intended for a generation yearning for the Lord’s return in this tense hour of world history. It offers a real-world and Bible-based scenario of last days events presented through the lens of an engaging fictional thriller. Within its pages lies murder, mystery, end-times intrigue, and an unexpected twist. Spanning the Frozen Continent to the Lost City, “Blood Falls” will entertain, inspire, and challenge today’s reader.
What Readers Are Saying
I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
“I’m usually hesitant to read end times fiction…so I approached Blood Falls with a measure of caution. Its mystery/thriller tone grabbed me from the first chapter.”
Mark Brewster
Pastor, Shepherd’s Rest Oasis/Life Impact Ministries
I loved Blood Falls!
“Thorson has crafted a very believable apocalyptic tale that had me scrutinizing news stories and current-day catch phrases. She successfully mixes intrigue, natural calamity, and character struggles with Biblical teachings on the end times. Blood Falls is a fast-paced, hard-to-put down story.”
Ida Smith
Author of “Guarding What Remains” and the “Neil Gatlin Thriller” Series
About the Author
Pam Thorson is a nurse, full-time caregiver, speaker, and author of four books. Her latest book “Blood Falls” earned a top award in the Oregon Christian Writers 2021 Cascade contest and a semi-finalist spot in the American Christian Fiction Writers 2022 Genesis contest. She is a regular contributor for the Christian music website cmaddict.com. Pam lives in the Northwest with her family.
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