The Body of Christ is the Church of God, but, in the Bible, The Church of God is not necessarily the Body of Christ. True or False? Please take a moment to respond at

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And now the answer to the LLM Question of 2-8-2012

Question: The Times of the Gentiles SPIRITUALLY will end by the MYSTERY appearing of Christ in the air to Rapture the Body of Christ. Titus 2:13. True or False?

Answer: TRUE! It is significant that after the Apostle Paul reached Rome as Caesar’s prisoner, Paul called himself “the prisoner of Jesus Christ", “for you Gentiles”, with the Dispensation of the Grace of God. (Ephesians 3:1 and Ephesians 4:1). The TIMES OF THE GENTILES politically, will end by the coming of the Son of man to earth; but SPIRITUALLY it will end by His MYSTERY appearing, for to Rapture His Body to Himself as it's Head. (Titus 2:13). Out of the 715 responses we received to this question, 77.8% of you got it right! Therefore, NOW, let us take a look at,

Facts to Understand the Book of Acts, part 4 of 9

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES

When the LORD Jesus Christ was here on earth in the midst of Israel He told the Jews that the seat of religious authority was Moses’ seat. (Matthew 23:1-3). Christ told His people that the seat of political authority was Rome and Caesar. (Matthew 22:21-22). Christ told HIS people that Jerusalem would be under Gentile authority and the Jews would be a scattered people until ‘THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES’ be fulfilled (Luke 21:24).

Note in 2 Kings 17:18 that God was very angry with Israel and sent them into captivity. Judah was left. Then later, because of the sin of Manasseh the king, God said, “I will remove Judah also out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city of Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house, of which I said, My name shall be there.” (2 Kings 23:27). So the Gentile king of Babylon came to remove Judah; and we find in 2 Kings 25:7 another blind Jew, Zedekiah. Now follow me on this, THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES, POLITICALLY began with a blind Jew (suggesting the blindness of Israel) about 600 B.C.

Christ was born in the times of the Gentiles, politically. (Luke 2:1). After Paul explained in Romans 11:11-15 and 11:25-31, how God had ushered in THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES, SPIRITUALLY, he reminded the LORD’s disciples that they were still living in THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES, POLITICALLY (Romans 13:1-7).

A little later Paul appealed to Caesar to save him from an unlawful death. (Acts 25:11). Caesar’s officers had already used hundreds of soldiers to protect Paul (Acts 23:23). But it is significant that after the Apostle Paul reached Rome as Caesar’s prisoner Paul called himself “the prisoner of Jesus Christ”…“for you Gentiles”, with the Dispensation of the Grace of God. (Ephesians 3:1 and Ephesians 4:1). The TIMES OF THE GENTILES politically, will end by the coming of the Son of man to earth; but SPIRITUALLY it will end by His MYSTERY appearing, for to Rapture His Body to Himself as it's Head. (Titus 2:13).

After reading Luke’s Gospel we can see why the disciples were so confused as to God’s program that they said, after Christ’s death AND resurrection, “we trusted it had been He that should have redeemed Israel.” (Luke 24:21). Are we not confused when we read God’s message, at the time Christ was born, “peace on earth” (Luke 2:14), and then read Christ’s own words when He spake of His death on the cross as His ‘baptism,’ and said “no peace on earth?” (Luke 12:47-50). Are we not confused when we read Luke 1:67-80, that God RAISED UP Christ to deliver Israel from Gentile domination and to fulfill His promises to permit them, once delivered from the hands of their enemies, to serve God without fear, and then to go on to read Luke 21:22-33, concerning the days of vengeance for Israel (the terrible judgment of Matthew 22:7) when Israel would suffer awful, cruel, murderous treatment from the hands of the Gentiles? Perhaps we get light upon these contrary Scriptures by the FALL and RISING of Israel in Luke 2:34.

Christ, in Luke 1:27-33, was born to fulfill Isaiah 9:6-7, to occupy the throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob. BUT in John 12:37-41 we learn that Isaiah 53 had to be fulfilled concerning Christ on the cross before Isaiah 9:6-7 could be fulfilled concerning The LORD Jesus Christ on David’s throne. Now we know that the suffering of Christ had to precede His Glory (1 Peter 1:11-12), and it would seem from Christ’s rebuke of Luke 24:24, “O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken,” that Christ expected His disciples at that time to know 1 Peter 1:11. But the question of Acts 1:6, “wilt Thou AT THIS TIME restore again the kingdom to Israel,” PROVES that even the twelve Apostles were still foolish and slow of heart, AND that Acts 1:3 does not mean that Christ taught the Twelve ANYTHING concerning the truth of Romans 11:25-26. You get all that? Good!

THE SIGN OF JONAH

The people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, but Israel repented not at the preaching of One greater than Jonah (Matthew 12:41). Christ left them one great sign “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40). The Son of man had to go as He went. (Matthew 26:24; John 3:14; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:24-29; Acts 13:29-30; Acts 3:18). Therefore Israel’s sin against the Son of man, when they killed the Prince of Life (Acts 3:14:15), WAS pardonable (Matthew 12:32); and it is significant that Luke was the one chosen by the Holy Spirit to record the prayer of Christ on the cross, Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” for Luke wrote the Gospel and the Book of Acts. Note the Holy Spirit’s message, through the Apostle Peter not many days thereafter, “I know that through ignorance you did it, as did your rulers. But those things which God before hath showed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.” (Acts 3:17-18). Now grasp the significance of the THEREFORE in the next (Acts 3:19) verse, and learn the significance and efficacy of Christ’s prayer for Israel on the cross, which brought Divine amnesty for Israel because Christ’s suffering had to precede His Glory. Christ could not go to the THRONE of David, in fulfillment of Prophecy, until He went to the tree, in fulfillment of Prophecy. (Acts 3:18; Acts 13:29-30).

“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31, while there is still time!

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short

What rapture? Don't you mean resurrection?

BitBrush wrote,
> What rapture? Don't you mean resurrection?

Yes, the Rapture or Harpazo! You see, a difficulty is created when we arbitrarily introduce the later Prison Epistles of Paul into the Book of Revelation. And, to save us from making such a mistake, the Holy Spirit gave special instruction, through the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5 , immediately after He had inspired to Paul the revelation of 1 Thessalonians 4 . If we pay attention to this and learn the great and important lesson here, all will be perfectly clear.

1 Thessalonians 5 : 1, "But of the times and the season, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you."

Why, "no need"? Simply because the Coming forth into the air and our "gathering together unto Him" there, do not depend on any time or season. His "Coming unto" the earth DOES; but that is NOT what he had been speaking about in the chapter immediately before (Thessalonians 4).

2. "For yourselves know perfectly that the Day of the LORD so cometh as a thief in the night."

It is the "Day of the LORD" which (as we have been discussing above) is the subject of the Book of Revelation: and in Revelation 3:3 , the LORD distinctly warns as to His Coming "as a thief," which is the VERY OPPOSITE of what we read of in Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and even in 1 Thessalonians 4-5 . For mark the sudden change of pronouns in the latter chapters.

3. "For when THEY shall say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction cometh upon THEM, and THEY shall not escape."

It is this "destruction" which the Book of Revelation describes. It is this which gives its character to "the Day of the LORD." It is "sudden," and comes "as a thief;" and it comes upon "THEM" and "THEY," not upon us: for mark the change of pronouns again.

4. "But YE, brethren, are not in darkness, that that Day should overtake YOU as a thief."

Here, our point is spot on and emphatically stated, with a pin-pointing which leaves nothing to be added. Can anything be clearer than the fact that the Church of God of the Dispensation of Grace, the Church of the Mystery, the Body of Christ, is NOT the subject of the Book of Revelation? And that the "Coming" which is the subject of the Book of Revelation is NOT the Coming for which the Body of Christ is now longing, waiting, and looking?

The Book of Revelation is "prophecy," and therefore it awaits a future fulfillment in "the Day of the LORD," when the LORD Jesus shall be unveiled as the Son of man, and every eye shall see Him.

The reason I ask about resurrection is because I find no rapture of the church anywhere in scripture. The term rapture is so firmly entrenched into modern evangelicalism that it is assumed true. There is just one second coming of Christ and it is clearly understood. As far as believing there is either a pre-, mid-, or post-trib, etcetera is to misunderstand scripture.

Admin edit...

The questions that BitBrush needs to ask himself is:

1) Is there a difference between the Rapture of the Body of Christ and the Restitution of All Things?
2) The Old Covenant religious Church program of the Nation Israel is not the program of God for the Church which is the Body of Christ. True or False?
3) Do you believe that the Body of Christ, the Church of God during this current Dispensation of Grace, began at Pentecost? Yes or No?

BitBrush's answers to these questions will show how BitBrush views this present parenthetical Dispensation of Grace.

Look up the Greek word...Harpazo. And then see where this word is used by the Apostle Paul. Next, you need to research and see that the Body of Christ, and this present Age of Grace, did NOT begin at Pentecost with the 12, but with the conversion of Saul.

Wow. This was a first.

> The questions that BitBrush needs to ask himself is:
1) Is there a difference between the Rapture of the Body of Christ and the Restitution of All Things?

Since the question is asked with an incorrect premise I cannot answer the question.

> 2) The Old Covenant religious Church program of the Nation Israel is not the program of God for the Church which is the Body of Christ. True or False?

Again, an incorrect premise. Cannot answer the question.

> 3) Do you believe that the Body of Christ, the Church of God during this current Dispensation of Grace, began at Pentecost? Yes or No?

Again and again, you ask questions that show that you do not understand the scriptures. I could answer these if I were a believer in the rapture. A believer of ages and dispensations.

We are saved by grace through faith. Abraham and those who trusted God were saved by grace through faith. Although they believed God and his promises of things to come in the distant future. We believe God and see the promises fulfilled in our distant past. Who has the greater faith?

A false reality can be created with out of context soundbites just like the evening news. A rapture is such a reality. The same verses read in context can paint the perfect picture of what God's real plans are.

So, Bit Brush, do you believe that God has dealt with man the same from Adam until Today? You see I ask these specific questions in order to show whether you have an agenda or not here on the Lion Forum.

You not answering based on the "premise is wrong" is not an answer of any conviction. Please, answer the questions the best you can, to continue the discussion.

For example, Bit Brush, Do you believe that YOU can lose your salvation? Please answer...