This post is a refresher of one I previously wrote in 2013 which warned about Brian Gemmell's eschatological (end time) rapture theory.
Brian Gemmell (BG) was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1950. His family background is from the Exclusive Brethren going back to his grandparents.{1} He now describes himself as a full time itinerant Christian teacher with a particular interest in end time events. {2}
Alarmingly, BG not only promotes the pre-tribulation rapture theory, which in my view is false, he goes one step further in that he promotes a deviant pre-trib eschatological doctrine based on the teachings of Paine and Ware.
BG: "Jesus will be with the bride on earth for a period of time, 10 days before the collective gathering together in the air." {3} This very serious error is based on an unbalanced obsession with chronology and numerology at the expense of the clear teaching of the Bible. It originated with Paine & Ware in the early part of the last century. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933, when this failed he revised his chronology and decided that it would happen around 1945.
The scriptures make it clear that believers will meet the Lord in the air, not on the earth.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Biblically the rapture will happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye:
.....in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52) The Bible gives no indication whatsoever that there will be a time lapse of ten days before believers join the dead in Christ.
The implications of BG's theology about the rapture are very dangerous, as Pastor Bill Randles of Believers in Grace Ministries explains:
Brian Gemmell Teachings Removed ~ 2013
"It is with a heavy heart that I must distance myself, for the time being, from Brian Gemmell's teaching ministry. Although I count him as a dear friend, Brian has propagated a teaching about the rapture that I would consider erroneous. In his series, "Order, Order, Order!", he teaches that Jesus will return ten days before the rapture, to appear among the churches giving us a chance to "get our houses in order". This denies the imminency of the rapture, and the fact that we don't know when our Master is coming. Furthermore, and perhaps most troubling, Brian teaches that the "dead in Christ will rise up at that time and there will be the chance for them to 'settle' unsettled accounts with the saints". Myself and Jacob Prasch have been working to restore Brian, whom we count as a dear friend, so we covet your prayers. Sincerely, Pastor Bill Randles." {4}
Philip Powell, Christian Witness Ministries: "It is with sadness, careful consideration, and humility that we write that Brian Gemmell has adopted a serious and fundamental error and poses such a danger to the people of God. In his DVD, "Order, Order, Order!", Brian teaches that Christ will return ten days before the catching away of believers in the same human form in which He appeared after His resurrection and before His ascension....." {5}
Jacob Prasch has also rejected the teaching of Paine & Ware as: - "A false eschatology that is plainly heretical, potentially cultic and ultimately lethal." {6}
PWMI: "We therefore warn our readers against the teachings of Ware & Paine as we did 80 years ago and beware of those who peddle them. Let us remember that 'no man knows the day or the hour-only our Father in heaven'." {7}
The Bible warns us that false Christ's will appear but that we must not go after them:
And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (Luke 17/22-24; Matthew 24/24,26)
BG also questions the omnipresent nature of Jesus Christ:
“He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers.” {8}
We cannot say that Christ has divested himself forever of the attribute of omnipresence - this is a very serious error. Jesus Christ's human nature is not omnipresent, but his divine nature is. It is the one person of Christ who shares both natures (communicatio idiomatum) and it is the one person who is omnipresent.
The following quote shows that BG's eschatological view is not based on the scriptures but on "the Math".
February 3, 2011 at 10:37am:
"Excellent dear brother. Not much longer to wait now. The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Some watchers in the UK are convinced that the rescue of the Chilean miners was a sign of the coming Resurrection, particularly with the many biblical numbers associated with the event ,not least 33. The Lord Jesus was 33 at the time of His resurrection. A symbolic number of the church at the beginning of her life at Pentecost was 120…the no. in the upper room. Symbolic number at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns and our “fast” is broken but the “net” is not… John 21 is 153. You do the Math!! In Jesus, Maranatha, Brian Gemmell" {9}
BG promoted The Restored Vision by A.E. Ware on the 17th of May 2013:
"The Greek word translated 'week" is in its Anglicised version " sabbations" which is itself the Hellenised Hebrew word Sabbaths. Note that this is in the plural, hence weeks. The reference is to the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the 7x7 weeks ( 49 days) between Firstfruits and the 50th day, Pentecost.
Lev 23 outlines the festal calendar and this covers the whole period of the barley and wheat harvest. At Pentecost 2 loaves are waived before the Lord signifying the completion of the harvest and offering the Lord the first finished bread. A fuller teaching is contained in "The Restored Vision" by A.E. Ware. (Available from me for 8.50 + P&P).” {10}
In 2013, I contacted the General Director of the PWMI, Colin Le Noury, for clarification - he replied:
“Brian Gemmell's ministry is NOT acceptable within PWMI and all Branch Secretaries have been advised not to book him. I have told Neville that if he insists on booking BG then it must not be under the PWMI banner. Yes we do stand opposed to Ware & Paine teaching and have done for 80 years...... Brian Gemmell's ministry is no longer acceptable and he has been removed some time ago from our Recommended Preachers List........
We actually removed BG two years ago (I think we were ahead of everyone!).”
At that time Neville Stephens was the Newport Branch Secretary of the PWMI. There was clearly a conflict of loyalties in his promotion of BG, hence the above missive. Nev Stephens has since informed me that BG's visit was not advertised under the banner of the PWMI:
NS: "He (Colin LeNoury) had no control over me to arrange and publicise 'Bible Prophecy Meetings' in my region, and this I did with his full knowledge. He did not like it, but as long as I did not have these people speaking under 'a PWMI banner' he tolerated the situation."
Nev Stephens is a personal friend of BG and is the administrator of his website. He continues to recklessly put the Body of Christ at risk by promoting BG, preferring the friendship of a heretic rather than the clear teaching of Jesus Christ! (Matthew 10:34-39) Nev Stephens no longer represents the PWMI.
Brian Gemmell's Website:
ORDER, ORDER, ORDER: The Sequence And Structure Of The Rapture. This is a four message study DVD given by Brian, and this provoking and challenging ministry asks Christians to examine and test the traditional held view of the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture of The Bride Of Christ to heaven. A thought-provoking and very intriguing study of the end time events on the calendar of the Lord. {11}
I received the following comment on my previous post:
"I have been a personal friend of BG for some 38 years. But I had to stand on the truth of Scripture above friendship and I and some close friends challenged Brian on these issues back in May last year.
I had first become aware of problems with Brian, not because of doctrine, but because of some very ungodly behaviour. I refrain from going into details as we feel that this has been detailed enough now to those who are concerned more closely with BG, mainly those on the council of Bible I was personally denounced by BPF (British Prophecy Foundation).
It should be noted that because of the growing controversy over Brian that BPF had to officially remove Brian from the council and that all mention of Brian removed from their website, except in the links page. However, Brian has informed me personally that he is still attending BPF council meetings. From what Brian has told me personally it appears that Brian is still as much involved with BPF as ever Two council members resigned over the fact that the rest of the council would not make a stand against Brian's heretical teaching.
Brian's heretical teaching is not just limited to the 10 days before the rapture. His teaching on Numerology verges on the occult. I have spoken to Brian about this. I did also advice him that his sources for numerology were at fault.
Not only is some teaching doctrinally wrong, But he makes claims that are false on some of his recordings, basically he is prepared to lie to make something sound more sensational.
Brian lives in York and belongs to no Church. Though I have heard reports that he falsely claims to attend a certain Church I am quite familiar with.
Brian can be a very charming and convincing man. But that is just a front. Ultimately he is a man seeking to promote himself and his "ministry", he is seeking his glory rather than to glorify God.
It is sad to see such bad behaviour among Christians. I was the one who started the challenge against Brian Gemmell. A few close friends in discernment ministry taking the lead from the information I provided.
The response we received included personal denouncements, threats of legal action (not against myself), lies and malicious emails. A host of dirty tricks. We may not have all handled things in the best manner, but we did not deserve the nature of the attacks that were made against us.
It is tragic that those who call themselves Christian and run Christian ministries, pastor Churches can behave in such an ungodly manner
I have gone as far as I am able with Brian. I would though ask that you continue to watch the news of BG. I am leaving all in the hand of the Lord. I doubt that there is much else I can do...." {12}
I have been contacted by Nev Stephens today (16th February) with regard to some of the links on this post being "obsolete". When I posted this article, just a few days ago, the links were tested and active. I now begin to understand the difficulties of xxxxx when he referred to: ".....personal denouncements, threats of legal action, lies and malicious emails. A host of dirty tricks."
I can confirm that the DVD: ORDER, ORDER, ORDER is still currently for sale - I have just been asked if I would care to purchase a copy of it! Needless to say, I have declined the offer.
Brian Gemmell Order, Order, Order Transcription
Written by Philip Powell
Published: 18 September 2013
Brian Gemmell - 10 days
( Disc 1, 1:10:22-)
So what I’m seeking to show you from the Scripture, something that Roger Price in a tape surprised me with, what does he mean, and it’s that chance remark of Roger Price’s on a tape years ago that got me on to this inquiry when he said ‘Jesus owes us nine days’. When in fact, it is 10 days, nine complete days and a part-day no doubt. Jesus will be with the bride on earth for a period of time, 10 days before the collective gathering together in the air. How will he be? What form will he take? Well he will only take the same form as he is because He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s not some kind of spiritual chameleon. He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers. Of course when you look at his appearances in the 40 days, the Lord Jesus is only ever in one place at one time, he appears to the disciples and he disappears, he appears and he disappears, he appears and he disappears.
In the next couple of sessions when we want to learn something about the occurrences of what actually happens and what is the purpose of these 10 days, one of the dramas that we will look at will be the 40 days of his walking post-resurrection here on the earth because what he will do in the 10 days to complete that period will of course be continuous with what he did in the previous 40 days – speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God, giving instructions and so on.
Of course there’s something interesting to consider, we noted in Hebrews 12 [v22-23] … and now listen … This is an event that has to take place at the end of the church age because it’s to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. It is absolutely inclusive. And the general assembly of all those registered in heaven can’t yet take place because there are still some people who are being and who are to be saved and thereby registered as part of this body.
And so Jesus leaves early on the disciples on the 40th day and not on the 50th day. Time is split and it’s split for the dispensation of the church to begin. There’s a duration of a set length known only to God. We know there is a set length because concluding it will be a judgment and God has said he has set a day, Acts 17. God has set a day that is a terminal appointment set. And all that has to happen prior to that including going out of the Gentiles of people for his name and taking them away will take place within a set period from the Pentecost date when the church began to a date predating the set appointment for judgment. There’s gonna be a handover from the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit will hand the Bride of Christ over to the son. You see that beautifully in the story of Isaac and Rebecca where the servant takes her on the camels over the desert. It happens to be a 10 day journey, we’ll look at that on another occasion. And then when Isaac appears on the field, he says ‘This is my master’ and he directs the bride to the master as he has done throughout the whole of that wonderful story and drama as the holy spirit has done to the bride of Christ, not speaking of himself but always directing to teach all thing of Christ to the believers. And in this Gentile world he has called out this unique gathering of people, he has put them on a basis in Romans 9 tells of basis of the Hebrews Scriptures, the Father, the covenant and the Jewish Messiah. The Scripture tells us clearly Acts 15 v 14…[-17] Of course that is beautifully seen in Ephesians 5 that this gathering people that God has called out is uniquely fashioned S(1.16).
Sequence and Structure of the Rapture, Disc 2 (1.6.26-)
Israel, they are the nation with whom he will deal nationally in the tribulation period and whom he will save. There must be witnesses to what happens. Everything that God does when he gives testimony there’s always at least a double witness and the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses is a thing established. We have in the tribulation a witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, a witness to the disappearance from off the place of this planet, of millions and millions of believers in the Lord Jesus.
And also a witness to God’s righteous defence of Israel and the works that he would do on behalf of Israel, some of which we would see expressed in Ezekiel 38, when God comes to the deliverance of Israel at a time of invasion from the north, from Russia, Iran, Lybia and so on. There will be witnesses, they would have seen and heard and they expressed. There is a triple witness in the tribulation. There are the 2 characters of Revelation 11, who if they are not actually Moses and Elijah, actually are in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. They are characteristic of Moses and Elijah. And then there are 144,000 Jewish men, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel and again they’re witnesses. We tend sometimes to colloquially to call them 144,000 evangelists because they do seem to have an evangelical mission. But they are to witness to the truth. They have seen it, they have heard it. They are saying this is the truth.
It is my belief that during this period when the ecclesia is packing up and getting ready to depart permanently, well until they return with the Lord Jesus, but permanently from this dispensation, that witnesses must be left behind. It is interesting of the 144,000, I think they will have to go by 2. The Lord Jesus sent the 70 or 72 out 2 by 2. It is interesting that 2, you divide 144,000, that’s 72,000 of course and the choffar, that trumpet, that word is used 72 times in the Scriptures. It’s an interesting number. But they’ve got to go out with a testimony and with a witness. And I think it is very likely that one of the things that many of our believing brethren in the land of Israel and no doubt elsewhere, but particularly in the land of Israel, would have to do is prepare those folks during those 10 days to take up this baton.
It would appear that some would have already been prepared. We know of contacts with the orthodox community in Israel where there are people who at least cerebrally and intellectually are accepting that the Lord Jesus Christ was Messiah. Now there are variations. I know personally of an Orthodox rabbi who was visiting Northern Ireland for various reasons a few years ago and attended a church where my friends attend and he came out of there. He went there out of politeness. He listened to most of it. When it came to the Lord’s supper he went and just stood outside. As they were going back with my friend who was doing him some favour so he was trying to be nice. But I believe he was absolutely genuine when he said with some shock, ‘The Spirit of the Lord was there.’ Partially blinded, partially hardened. A preparatory work is already under way.
And I would ask you, a slight smile on my face, where are you going to find 144,000 Jewish, male virgins in the hedonistic society of Israel? Where are you? It is going to have to be within the orthodox community I believe, both there and in Europe and the USA, that these tribes folk will be brought together and given their commission.
So wondering what’s going to go on in that period, then there is the handover/takeover, just in the same there was a period of transition in the New Testament, in the book of Acts we can see it, we see the disciples of John right up into Acts 19. Everything was set up by John the Baptist, for the Lord Jesus, made ready. And in that making ready, a people were prepared who eventually became the disciples of the Lord Jesus. And so at the close of the age, we have a similar role, to hand over the baton of witness and testimony and the good news of the saving power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to another group. And I think too, there is a personal role for each of us in this handover. In many ways someone is going to pick up where Israel left off in 33 AD when the handover was to the church. And so we’ve got a situation developing in the church today, where there is within the body of Christ, a large number of believers who can reach out in an unthreatening way into the Jewish community. How valuable these brethren will be and frequently it is those who have an awareness of the nearness of the Lord’s coming. It was how I got into the end times business in the first place, reading things on Israel, and coming to an understanding about Israel, reading Lydia Prince’s book on Israel had a formative effect on how I think and lead me towards end times. And so it is with this access into these Jewish communities throughout the world, that in that 10 day period, this most shocking and revolutionary message can be given and it will be proven to be true within 10 days.
But what about you? What about you? There isn’t time for us to look extensively at Enoch. I mentioned in the last session folklore that relates his birth and his translation to Pentecost. But very clearly, Enoch is a man, a single individual who walks with God, he knew what was happening, representative of the body of Christ, taken off the face of the planet before the coming judgment, the flood. He knew about judgment, he knew about the second coming, he knew about the flood because he names his son Methuselah, it will happen after his death. He knew about the second coming. We know that from the book of Jude. Enoch the 7th from Adam, prophesied about these men, about the apostates, about all the ungodly things that they had done in an ungodly way and in ungodly manner they had spoke against him and the Lord is coming and judgment of the thousand and thousand of his saints. He knew about the second coming. He’s a real classic picture of the body of Christ. And I love what the dear Chuck Mister says, it just so endears me. They were walking together, and God almighty and Enoch, and God said to Enoch, will you come home to my place, and Enoch said, yes please. And I add my little bit, and put the kettle on. Wonderful union and remember they walked together for 300 years. He knew God well and God knew him well. A lovely picture of the era of the church.
But he left behind a testimony. Have you? Get it ready, don’t wait till the 10 days. Write letters, have them ready for posting, make DVDs, make CDs. Warn and inform your friends now. Tell people about the rapture now. Leave behind a testimony that when you’ve gone the area in which you use to inhabit, the space that is now vacated still has the aroma and scent of the Lord Jesus and a witness. My wife and I and my children have a box full of letters in our house, ready to be posted during that 10-day period. I wrote them before I understood about this 10-day period and in fact I earmarked one of my previous employees with certain promises that he would inherit. My real collection as it happens. He would post these letters for me, his services, if he had gotten saved or does get saved and that is needed, will be replaced by someone else. But I suspect they would be redundant in the light of my understanding now.
So Enoch left behind a Methuselah statement. There was which he had done in his life that did not come to fruition until after he had been taken away. The lineage of Noah that got through the tribulation in the ark and we need to make sure that our lives are savoured and flavoured with the Lord Jesus Christ and the next big event that Jesus Christ will do is return for the church and the subsequent events. And it will take faith and blushing and embarrassment to tell people because some people will think you’re mad. You’ll get more resistance from Christians, and pseudo-Christians and back-sliden Christians than you will from worldly people, that I will tell you. There is an opening. I’ve been privileged to lead a number of people to the Lord Jesus who are now pressing on with these messages by telling them about the Second Coming and then coming to the point by saying, You have heard enough about that, you need to come to Calvary’s cross. Are you leaving behind a Methuselah? Have you got a lineage of activity that will result in those when they come to the point in the tribulation, of getting into the ark, an understanding about Israel.
Tell people, warn people, you will be unpopular. But tell and warn people. Do no ill to Jewish people. Stand by Israel. Warn them about the mark of the Beast, warn them that the whole world will be against Israel. But may they be those who find themselves amongst the sheep who did good for his brethren, who looked after the Jewish people and stood by them. Their faith in that tribulation time will be Messianic. You will not be able to be a believer in the Lord Jesus in the tribulation without having a clear link with Israel, her king Messiah and the people. Leave behind a Methuselah and a Noah message with your life and start today to get it ready. Immediately this DVD comes to conclusion, do something, write a letter to an unsaved friend and write a letter to an unsaved family and do one everyday until you’ve completed the whole of your circle.
Now we need to turn to 2 Kings 2. This is where Elijah ascends to heaven. It’s another picture. And I only want to highlight a couple of things. That is that on the day the Lord Jesus ascended, he clearly told the disciples, ‘I’m going’. And they visibly watched him. On the day that Elijah ascended, a number of people knew, those who were prophetic, those who had an eye for spiritual things.
I have been very interested in the last few weeks here at the end of 2008, in a number of Jewish people, rabbis, including a liberal lady rabbi, not exactly the kind of person I would expect to hear this from, who are anticipating the coming of the Messiah shortly. There are going to be people in this world today, within Israel, within the Jewish community, hardened in part, blinded in part, now being softened and prepared. And what are they understanding? They are understanding things about the temple. They’re understanding that it is the Messianic era, when the numbers despite poor advertising, the numbers of temple faithful expecting 500,000 at the very most, were almost overwhelmed when 5,000 people turned up because of the messianic expectancy. There is a prophetic expectancy.
The Lord Jesus warned the disciples. We will have warning that we are going and we can see this with Elijah. Elijah knew it was time to go, running alongside him was Elisha. And Elisha was told and the prophets and the sons of the prophets knew what was going on. And they visibly watched him go, Elisha did. And as a result of seeing that departure, he got the garment, he got the cloak, it fell on him, it became his responsibility. Further more, he had a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah, the Spirit of the Lord that had graced Elijah came upon him and his miraculous events under the power of the Spirit of God were doubled with that of Elijah.
In that 10-day period, there will be, I believe, an opportunity for believers particularly in association with the Jewish people, to convey to them the witness and truths of the Scriptures that are absolutely necessary for them to continue throughout the tribulation with the salvation message. And just as the proof of the rapture would take us at the end of a set period, so they can enter into this excruciating time of judgment. There will never be one like it before, there will never be one like it after. They will know that just as our conclusion was to the glory of God and to our redemption and salvation, so they can hold on until the end. Remember, Elisha saw it. Some are going to witness what goes on.
We already mentioned about the apostle Paul and the spectacular events that surrounded the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ to this planet to set up the order, sequence and structure of the Church. Paul says when he’s talking about the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4, he doesn’t tell us where it happens and exactly when but he tells us very specifically that he says this, ‘by the word of the Lord, God the Lord Jesus Christ had spoken to him’ and given him an advance warning. This advance warning brings order and we can see that we can be setting on an order that we can continue after our departure. It has to be like that. It always has been. God doesn’t use magic wands and cartoon figures. It’s all very, very practical.
Now I want to read a verse from Revelation 19:7. I want to relate that back to Ephesians 5:25-27. The Lord Jesus means what he says, and he says what he means. We see in Revelation, the bride making herself ready. Those of you who have been married and this particular lady who I am looking at to me, spend a lot of time getting ready and for various events still does. The bride makes herself ready for the groom. Now here, we’re not talking about a physical readiness but a moral readiness. At the level of our spirits, we are washed with the blood of the lamb. On the daily tramp through life, our souls and to a certain extent even our bodies gets sullied, and we have the washing of the water of the word which needs to be throughout the whole of our salvation of the soul-lifetime-experience. We press on, it says in Hebrews, of those to the salvation of the soul, we are not those who fall back but those who press on to the salvation of the soul. That our whole personality and being, our self might be made like Christ. And of course we are fitted and saved, made ready for heaven by the blood of the Lord Jesus, by his finished work on Calvary, not by our works. Nothing that is sinful can enter heavenly presence. Nothing that God would disapprove of can be seen before him and so all our sins are washed away. And at that moment when we are caught up in the air and no doubt stewarded, and ordered, in we go, I don’t know if our new names will be in badges or what I don’t know but we will be stewarded and ordered into the realms of glory and then a series of events will take place there. And our sins are washed away. And our relationship with God the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely crystal clear and pristine and beautiful.
Ah but what about our relationships with one another? What about the broken relationships, the sins against one another, the sins against those who have probably passed on before? What about the sins between those who passed before? There is a glorious opportunity in that 10-day period for the bride to make herself ready so that having washed her with the word, when he presents her to himself a glorious Church, he does so without spot, without any sense of impurity, without any wrinkle, without any weariness or ageing, the result of fears or trials, or any such thing. And so we read about the bride making herself ready. And this of course is absolutely vital. Because we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus and put right with God, through him, through the Lord Jesus Christ. A relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ is without shadow, is absolutely clear, beautiful and pristine. There’s nothing between us and God. Right now there isn’t and there won’t be on that glorious day.
But what about the things that are between us now? What about the things that are between us and those that have passed on? Or even between those who have passed on, between them that were never resolved before the grave? There is a glorious and wonderful opportunity for the bride to make herself ready in that 10-day period to get ready for meeting the groom, absolutely perfect, to put on the veil as Rebecca did before Isaac. So that when he presents her, having washed her with the water of the word which should be our daily experience, having washed her with the water of the word, then he can present her to himself a glorious Church. Glorious, received up into glory which we will be on that wave-offering day, the completed bread loaves. Not having any spot of impurity in our relationships, nothing that is within us that cannot go in to glory. No virus, no infection of this world, no wrinkles, no weariness, nothing which has aged us nor worn us down in relationships, those relationship that have ground on day in and day out, that made you weary, need to be put right or any such thing. So that when she is drawn into his presence, it is with completely without blemish.
[Ephesians 5:28-29]. The Lord loves and cherishes the Church. He is going to present her to himself free of everything. There are some things that have to be left behind here on terra firma. So he comes to the field, and she puts on the veil and then he takes her up to Sarah’s tent. All of this is for our blessing, a time to put things right on earth before our translation to the general Assembly of the Church of the firstborn register in heaven. No spots, no wrinkles, holy and without blemish. And that’s not just because of the blood of the Lamb and our relationship with him but because of confession to one another.
Jesus will he visit everyone? Well, I think I’ve already dealt with that. There is going to be a sea of activity. The precedent of course is in the 40 days. The Lord Jesus did not appear to everyone who was his disciple or who would become his disciples in that 40-day period. It was selective. And the bulk, all that we’re intended to know, the bulk of it of course is in 1 Corinthians 15. Who were the over-500 at once, it’s not catalogued for us. But there were considerable numbers. But that’s given as evidence of the resurrection and I’m using it to show you that there was selectivity based on divine sovereignty. But over 500 at once is a spectacular number, that’s a goodly number. And if that is repeated on a regular basis, of gatherings of God’s people, it won’t be long in that period, with the technology that is available today, for this information to wheel around the world within 2 or 3 days.
I suspect there will be 3 days because the 10 seem to be split on occasions into 3 and 7. I suspect and I’m here honestly being I hope biblically inspired to be speculative in a holy manner. I’m being speculative but I suspect there will be 3 days of fearsome and ferocious activity from cell phones to internet, to landlines, you name it. It will just fearsomely go round the world with great joy and excitement. And then 7 days of pensive settling and obedience and service before we’re caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
I pointed out that the Lord Jesus was never seen in 2 places at once in that period of time of the 40 days and I do not expect that that will be the case. He is in a human body. However, many saints were raised and they visited many. And I think they will be recognised and they came with testimony and such a thing could be true today. It will only be the saints because it is only the dead in Christ that will be raised. And so they will have testimony of the truth and can go round as representatives of what has happened and of resurrection, handing out to us the implied and certain promise of our translation at the end of that period.
Some people are worried. Could we not be deceived? Satan can appear as an angel of light. Yes, he can but Satan cannot raise the dead. Nor can he blow the divine trumpet which will affect at the deepest level of your spirit, quiver through your soul and shake your body, bones and all when that trump sounds from heaven. Read at Sinai what it did to the people. They wanted it to stop. It will be an earth-shattering event to those who are spiritual. The spiritual man discerns all things and is discerned of no-one. There will be church-going people, Evangelical churches, Pentecostal, Charismatic fellowships, there will be people in there who will not hear because tragically with the diluted Gospel message so-called that has been propagated in the late 20th and early 21stCentury, there are many who sit in Evangelical pews or Pentecostal seats or in Charismatic fellowships on comfortable sofas who have not known the Saviour as personal Saviour and Lord. They have not met him at the cross. Beloved, there are a lot of evangelicalised pagans in the public Evangelical church. They will be some of those who will be most greatly and painfully affected in that 10-day period. I’m sure there are some of them or maybe I should say some of you who in that 10-day period will wish, wish, wish that you had received Christ before but will grasp him with both hands at that time and will hold on to a faith that may well cost you your physical life and protect you from taking the mark of the Beast. And you will have to continue and hold till the end. But there will be in that 10-day period the opportunity for the believer in the Lord Jesus, having dealt with other things to conclude his evangelism, having to change it because it is you who will go to Jesus when you die. It is you who will be washed by the blood that was shed on Calvary’s cross but you can give no message of the rapture. The resurrection that they will experience will be the very concluding part of what we know as the first or the primary resurrection and that will be at the end of the tribulation. But we will be able to give them sufficient help and instruction for them to continue and maybe even practically for them to lay aside such material goods as they conceive they will need to get them readied for the coming tribulation.
So will Jesus visit everyone? No, probably not. But there are the dead in Christ. And there are those of us who are alive and remain when we’ve heard the message and before we’re taken away. And we can hear the message and believe it now. And if I’m right, and you don’t believe it now no offence, beloved, no offence but if I’m right, you will believe it then and you’ll get out, and tell people ‘We will be departing’. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and it’s the day to go.
If the Lord Jesus is alongside his church, he is ordering and preparing. He is presenting her to himself a glorious church, holy and without blemish. That’s in order. Everything that is a blemish is a disorder. Everything that is unholy is joined to the world and not separated in an orderly way to God. That’s what the whole temple system and Levitical order tells us: order, order, order.
1 Peter 1:13, at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus. There’s some point he enters your drawing room or your church sanctuary or wherever you might be and he comes alongside you and unveils himself. It is that you might be loved and inspired by him that you might then at that closing moment put things in order that you might be told the things that you have to do in order for your departure to be most effective as a witness to others. And he wants you to abide in him that when he shall appear you will have confidence. He does not want you to be ashamed.
Beloved, get as much done in being right with the Lord Jesus Christ and with your brethren now. So that those days of waiting upon him might truly be 10 days of all. Days of waiting, of prayer and supplication in preparation for the kingdom of God. Eagerly await him now so that at his second appearing, you will see him and you will be with him.
You may not believe me. I began by saying I have no other agenda than to bring what I believe, a final and concluding extension to our understanding of the rapture. There’s probably more. I cannot believe that until we are finally removed from the planet, that every truth that there is, in this amazing and wonderful book has been mined and has been taken out and put on the body of Christ for its consumption. We will press on and we will continue to examine what the Bible has to say and see if we can learn anymore. One of the greatest hindrances, yes I quoted this earlier, you know to learning and understanding the truth is the assumption that we have it all already.
I would ask you to go over these DVDs again, I will ask you to blindfold such reactions as you may have, your prejudices, your feelings, your fears and to do your best to examine this biblical material objectively. You may not believe me but you have heard me. And when the shout and the trumpet sounds and you don’t disappear up through clouds, up through the ceiling into the clouds, and you’re still seated here, a quiver, get on the phone to your brethren. You’ve found out it’s happened to all of them. Tell them it’s 10 days and counting. And be ready for great-aunt Maud who went to be with Jesus 10 years ago to knock on the door. He is coming soon beloved. Whether this teaching from the Scriptures is a fantasy and an imagination or whether it’s exposition of the word of God in a more detailed way than you’ve heard before, you must as a good Berrian judge that yourself. But what is without any shadow of a doubt true is that our Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us will not leave us here much longer. Soon and very soon we are going to see the King.{13}
Brian Gemmell (BG) was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1950. His family background is from the Exclusive Brethren going back to his grandparents.{1} He now describes himself as a full time itinerant Christian teacher with a particular interest in end time events. {2}
Alarmingly, BG not only promotes the pre-tribulation rapture theory, which in my view is false, he goes one step further in that he promotes a deviant pre-trib eschatological doctrine based on the teachings of Paine and Ware.
BG: "Jesus will be with the bride on earth for a period of time, 10 days before the collective gathering together in the air." {3} This very serious error is based on an unbalanced obsession with chronology and numerology at the expense of the clear teaching of the Bible. It originated with Paine & Ware in the early part of the last century. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933, when this failed he revised his chronology and decided that it would happen around 1945.
The scriptures make it clear that believers will meet the Lord in the air, not on the earth.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
Biblically the rapture will happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye:
.....in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52) The Bible gives no indication whatsoever that there will be a time lapse of ten days before believers join the dead in Christ.
The implications of BG's theology about the rapture are very dangerous, as Pastor Bill Randles of Believers in Grace Ministries explains:
Brian Gemmell Teachings Removed ~ 2013
"It is with a heavy heart that I must distance myself, for the time being, from Brian Gemmell's teaching ministry. Although I count him as a dear friend, Brian has propagated a teaching about the rapture that I would consider erroneous. In his series, "Order, Order, Order!", he teaches that Jesus will return ten days before the rapture, to appear among the churches giving us a chance to "get our houses in order". This denies the imminency of the rapture, and the fact that we don't know when our Master is coming. Furthermore, and perhaps most troubling, Brian teaches that the "dead in Christ will rise up at that time and there will be the chance for them to 'settle' unsettled accounts with the saints". Myself and Jacob Prasch have been working to restore Brian, whom we count as a dear friend, so we covet your prayers. Sincerely, Pastor Bill Randles." {4}
Philip Powell, Christian Witness Ministries: "It is with sadness, careful consideration, and humility that we write that Brian Gemmell has adopted a serious and fundamental error and poses such a danger to the people of God. In his DVD, "Order, Order, Order!", Brian teaches that Christ will return ten days before the catching away of believers in the same human form in which He appeared after His resurrection and before His ascension....." {5}
Jacob Prasch has also rejected the teaching of Paine & Ware as: - "A false eschatology that is plainly heretical, potentially cultic and ultimately lethal." {6}
PWMI: "We therefore warn our readers against the teachings of Ware & Paine as we did 80 years ago and beware of those who peddle them. Let us remember that 'no man knows the day or the hour-only our Father in heaven'." {7}
The Bible warns us that false Christ's will appear but that we must not go after them:
And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (Luke 17/22-24; Matthew 24/24,26)
BG also questions the omnipresent nature of Jesus Christ:
“He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers.” {8}
We cannot say that Christ has divested himself forever of the attribute of omnipresence - this is a very serious error. Jesus Christ's human nature is not omnipresent, but his divine nature is. It is the one person of Christ who shares both natures (communicatio idiomatum) and it is the one person who is omnipresent.
The following quote shows that BG's eschatological view is not based on the scriptures but on "the Math".
February 3, 2011 at 10:37am:
"Excellent dear brother. Not much longer to wait now. The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Some watchers in the UK are convinced that the rescue of the Chilean miners was a sign of the coming Resurrection, particularly with the many biblical numbers associated with the event ,not least 33. The Lord Jesus was 33 at the time of His resurrection. A symbolic number of the church at the beginning of her life at Pentecost was 120…the no. in the upper room. Symbolic number at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns and our “fast” is broken but the “net” is not… John 21 is 153. You do the Math!! In Jesus, Maranatha, Brian Gemmell" {9}
BG promoted The Restored Vision by A.E. Ware on the 17th of May 2013:
"The Greek word translated 'week" is in its Anglicised version " sabbations" which is itself the Hellenised Hebrew word Sabbaths. Note that this is in the plural, hence weeks. The reference is to the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the 7x7 weeks ( 49 days) between Firstfruits and the 50th day, Pentecost.
Lev 23 outlines the festal calendar and this covers the whole period of the barley and wheat harvest. At Pentecost 2 loaves are waived before the Lord signifying the completion of the harvest and offering the Lord the first finished bread. A fuller teaching is contained in "The Restored Vision" by A.E. Ware. (Available from me for 8.50 + P&P).” {10}
In 2013, I contacted the General Director of the PWMI, Colin Le Noury, for clarification - he replied:
“Brian Gemmell's ministry is NOT acceptable within PWMI and all Branch Secretaries have been advised not to book him. I have told Neville that if he insists on booking BG then it must not be under the PWMI banner. Yes we do stand opposed to Ware & Paine teaching and have done for 80 years...... Brian Gemmell's ministry is no longer acceptable and he has been removed some time ago from our Recommended Preachers List........
We actually removed BG two years ago (I think we were ahead of everyone!).”
At that time Neville Stephens was the Newport Branch Secretary of the PWMI. There was clearly a conflict of loyalties in his promotion of BG, hence the above missive. Nev Stephens has since informed me that BG's visit was not advertised under the banner of the PWMI:
NS: "He (Colin LeNoury) had no control over me to arrange and publicise 'Bible Prophecy Meetings' in my region, and this I did with his full knowledge. He did not like it, but as long as I did not have these people speaking under 'a PWMI banner' he tolerated the situation."
Nev Stephens is a personal friend of BG and is the administrator of his website. He continues to recklessly put the Body of Christ at risk by promoting BG, preferring the friendship of a heretic rather than the clear teaching of Jesus Christ! (Matthew 10:34-39) Nev Stephens no longer represents the PWMI.
Brian Gemmell's Website:
ORDER, ORDER, ORDER: The Sequence And Structure Of The Rapture. This is a four message study DVD given by Brian, and this provoking and challenging ministry asks Christians to examine and test the traditional held view of the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture of The Bride Of Christ to heaven. A thought-provoking and very intriguing study of the end time events on the calendar of the Lord. {11}
I received the following comment on my previous post:
"I have been a personal friend of BG for some 38 years. But I had to stand on the truth of Scripture above friendship and I and some close friends challenged Brian on these issues back in May last year.
I had first become aware of problems with Brian, not because of doctrine, but because of some very ungodly behaviour. I refrain from going into details as we feel that this has been detailed enough now to those who are concerned more closely with BG, mainly those on the council of Bible I was personally denounced by BPF (British Prophecy Foundation).
It should be noted that because of the growing controversy over Brian that BPF had to officially remove Brian from the council and that all mention of Brian removed from their website, except in the links page. However, Brian has informed me personally that he is still attending BPF council meetings. From what Brian has told me personally it appears that Brian is still as much involved with BPF as ever Two council members resigned over the fact that the rest of the council would not make a stand against Brian's heretical teaching.
Brian's heretical teaching is not just limited to the 10 days before the rapture. His teaching on Numerology verges on the occult. I have spoken to Brian about this. I did also advice him that his sources for numerology were at fault.
Not only is some teaching doctrinally wrong, But he makes claims that are false on some of his recordings, basically he is prepared to lie to make something sound more sensational.
Brian lives in York and belongs to no Church. Though I have heard reports that he falsely claims to attend a certain Church I am quite familiar with.
Brian can be a very charming and convincing man. But that is just a front. Ultimately he is a man seeking to promote himself and his "ministry", he is seeking his glory rather than to glorify God.
It is sad to see such bad behaviour among Christians. I was the one who started the challenge against Brian Gemmell. A few close friends in discernment ministry taking the lead from the information I provided.
The response we received included personal denouncements, threats of legal action (not against myself), lies and malicious emails. A host of dirty tricks. We may not have all handled things in the best manner, but we did not deserve the nature of the attacks that were made against us.
It is tragic that those who call themselves Christian and run Christian ministries, pastor Churches can behave in such an ungodly manner
I have gone as far as I am able with Brian. I would though ask that you continue to watch the news of BG. I am leaving all in the hand of the Lord. I doubt that there is much else I can do...." {12}
I have been contacted by Nev Stephens today (16th February) with regard to some of the links on this post being "obsolete". When I posted this article, just a few days ago, the links were tested and active. I now begin to understand the difficulties of xxxxx when he referred to: ".....personal denouncements, threats of legal action, lies and malicious emails. A host of dirty tricks."
I can confirm that the DVD: ORDER, ORDER, ORDER is still currently for sale - I have just been asked if I would care to purchase a copy of it! Needless to say, I have declined the offer.
Brian Gemmell Order, Order, Order Transcription
Written by Philip Powell
Published: 18 September 2013
Brian Gemmell - 10 days
( Disc 1, 1:10:22-)
So what I’m seeking to show you from the Scripture, something that Roger Price in a tape surprised me with, what does he mean, and it’s that chance remark of Roger Price’s on a tape years ago that got me on to this inquiry when he said ‘Jesus owes us nine days’. When in fact, it is 10 days, nine complete days and a part-day no doubt. Jesus will be with the bride on earth for a period of time, 10 days before the collective gathering together in the air. How will he be? What form will he take? Well he will only take the same form as he is because He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s not some kind of spiritual chameleon. He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers. Of course when you look at his appearances in the 40 days, the Lord Jesus is only ever in one place at one time, he appears to the disciples and he disappears, he appears and he disappears, he appears and he disappears.
In the next couple of sessions when we want to learn something about the occurrences of what actually happens and what is the purpose of these 10 days, one of the dramas that we will look at will be the 40 days of his walking post-resurrection here on the earth because what he will do in the 10 days to complete that period will of course be continuous with what he did in the previous 40 days – speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God, giving instructions and so on.
Of course there’s something interesting to consider, we noted in Hebrews 12 [v22-23] … and now listen … This is an event that has to take place at the end of the church age because it’s to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. It is absolutely inclusive. And the general assembly of all those registered in heaven can’t yet take place because there are still some people who are being and who are to be saved and thereby registered as part of this body.
And so Jesus leaves early on the disciples on the 40th day and not on the 50th day. Time is split and it’s split for the dispensation of the church to begin. There’s a duration of a set length known only to God. We know there is a set length because concluding it will be a judgment and God has said he has set a day, Acts 17. God has set a day that is a terminal appointment set. And all that has to happen prior to that including going out of the Gentiles of people for his name and taking them away will take place within a set period from the Pentecost date when the church began to a date predating the set appointment for judgment. There’s gonna be a handover from the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit will hand the Bride of Christ over to the son. You see that beautifully in the story of Isaac and Rebecca where the servant takes her on the camels over the desert. It happens to be a 10 day journey, we’ll look at that on another occasion. And then when Isaac appears on the field, he says ‘This is my master’ and he directs the bride to the master as he has done throughout the whole of that wonderful story and drama as the holy spirit has done to the bride of Christ, not speaking of himself but always directing to teach all thing of Christ to the believers. And in this Gentile world he has called out this unique gathering of people, he has put them on a basis in Romans 9 tells of basis of the Hebrews Scriptures, the Father, the covenant and the Jewish Messiah. The Scripture tells us clearly Acts 15 v 14…[-17] Of course that is beautifully seen in Ephesians 5 that this gathering people that God has called out is uniquely fashioned S(1.16).
Sequence and Structure of the Rapture, Disc 2 (1.6.26-)
Israel, they are the nation with whom he will deal nationally in the tribulation period and whom he will save. There must be witnesses to what happens. Everything that God does when he gives testimony there’s always at least a double witness and the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses is a thing established. We have in the tribulation a witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, a witness to the disappearance from off the place of this planet, of millions and millions of believers in the Lord Jesus.
And also a witness to God’s righteous defence of Israel and the works that he would do on behalf of Israel, some of which we would see expressed in Ezekiel 38, when God comes to the deliverance of Israel at a time of invasion from the north, from Russia, Iran, Lybia and so on. There will be witnesses, they would have seen and heard and they expressed. There is a triple witness in the tribulation. There are the 2 characters of Revelation 11, who if they are not actually Moses and Elijah, actually are in the spirit of Moses and Elijah. They are characteristic of Moses and Elijah. And then there are 144,000 Jewish men, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel and again they’re witnesses. We tend sometimes to colloquially to call them 144,000 evangelists because they do seem to have an evangelical mission. But they are to witness to the truth. They have seen it, they have heard it. They are saying this is the truth.
It is my belief that during this period when the ecclesia is packing up and getting ready to depart permanently, well until they return with the Lord Jesus, but permanently from this dispensation, that witnesses must be left behind. It is interesting of the 144,000, I think they will have to go by 2. The Lord Jesus sent the 70 or 72 out 2 by 2. It is interesting that 2, you divide 144,000, that’s 72,000 of course and the choffar, that trumpet, that word is used 72 times in the Scriptures. It’s an interesting number. But they’ve got to go out with a testimony and with a witness. And I think it is very likely that one of the things that many of our believing brethren in the land of Israel and no doubt elsewhere, but particularly in the land of Israel, would have to do is prepare those folks during those 10 days to take up this baton.
It would appear that some would have already been prepared. We know of contacts with the orthodox community in Israel where there are people who at least cerebrally and intellectually are accepting that the Lord Jesus Christ was Messiah. Now there are variations. I know personally of an Orthodox rabbi who was visiting Northern Ireland for various reasons a few years ago and attended a church where my friends attend and he came out of there. He went there out of politeness. He listened to most of it. When it came to the Lord’s supper he went and just stood outside. As they were going back with my friend who was doing him some favour so he was trying to be nice. But I believe he was absolutely genuine when he said with some shock, ‘The Spirit of the Lord was there.’ Partially blinded, partially hardened. A preparatory work is already under way.
And I would ask you, a slight smile on my face, where are you going to find 144,000 Jewish, male virgins in the hedonistic society of Israel? Where are you? It is going to have to be within the orthodox community I believe, both there and in Europe and the USA, that these tribes folk will be brought together and given their commission.
So wondering what’s going to go on in that period, then there is the handover/takeover, just in the same there was a period of transition in the New Testament, in the book of Acts we can see it, we see the disciples of John right up into Acts 19. Everything was set up by John the Baptist, for the Lord Jesus, made ready. And in that making ready, a people were prepared who eventually became the disciples of the Lord Jesus. And so at the close of the age, we have a similar role, to hand over the baton of witness and testimony and the good news of the saving power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to another group. And I think too, there is a personal role for each of us in this handover. In many ways someone is going to pick up where Israel left off in 33 AD when the handover was to the church. And so we’ve got a situation developing in the church today, where there is within the body of Christ, a large number of believers who can reach out in an unthreatening way into the Jewish community. How valuable these brethren will be and frequently it is those who have an awareness of the nearness of the Lord’s coming. It was how I got into the end times business in the first place, reading things on Israel, and coming to an understanding about Israel, reading Lydia Prince’s book on Israel had a formative effect on how I think and lead me towards end times. And so it is with this access into these Jewish communities throughout the world, that in that 10 day period, this most shocking and revolutionary message can be given and it will be proven to be true within 10 days.
But what about you? What about you? There isn’t time for us to look extensively at Enoch. I mentioned in the last session folklore that relates his birth and his translation to Pentecost. But very clearly, Enoch is a man, a single individual who walks with God, he knew what was happening, representative of the body of Christ, taken off the face of the planet before the coming judgment, the flood. He knew about judgment, he knew about the second coming, he knew about the flood because he names his son Methuselah, it will happen after his death. He knew about the second coming. We know that from the book of Jude. Enoch the 7th from Adam, prophesied about these men, about the apostates, about all the ungodly things that they had done in an ungodly way and in ungodly manner they had spoke against him and the Lord is coming and judgment of the thousand and thousand of his saints. He knew about the second coming. He’s a real classic picture of the body of Christ. And I love what the dear Chuck Mister says, it just so endears me. They were walking together, and God almighty and Enoch, and God said to Enoch, will you come home to my place, and Enoch said, yes please. And I add my little bit, and put the kettle on. Wonderful union and remember they walked together for 300 years. He knew God well and God knew him well. A lovely picture of the era of the church.
But he left behind a testimony. Have you? Get it ready, don’t wait till the 10 days. Write letters, have them ready for posting, make DVDs, make CDs. Warn and inform your friends now. Tell people about the rapture now. Leave behind a testimony that when you’ve gone the area in which you use to inhabit, the space that is now vacated still has the aroma and scent of the Lord Jesus and a witness. My wife and I and my children have a box full of letters in our house, ready to be posted during that 10-day period. I wrote them before I understood about this 10-day period and in fact I earmarked one of my previous employees with certain promises that he would inherit. My real collection as it happens. He would post these letters for me, his services, if he had gotten saved or does get saved and that is needed, will be replaced by someone else. But I suspect they would be redundant in the light of my understanding now.
So Enoch left behind a Methuselah statement. There was which he had done in his life that did not come to fruition until after he had been taken away. The lineage of Noah that got through the tribulation in the ark and we need to make sure that our lives are savoured and flavoured with the Lord Jesus Christ and the next big event that Jesus Christ will do is return for the church and the subsequent events. And it will take faith and blushing and embarrassment to tell people because some people will think you’re mad. You’ll get more resistance from Christians, and pseudo-Christians and back-sliden Christians than you will from worldly people, that I will tell you. There is an opening. I’ve been privileged to lead a number of people to the Lord Jesus who are now pressing on with these messages by telling them about the Second Coming and then coming to the point by saying, You have heard enough about that, you need to come to Calvary’s cross. Are you leaving behind a Methuselah? Have you got a lineage of activity that will result in those when they come to the point in the tribulation, of getting into the ark, an understanding about Israel.
Tell people, warn people, you will be unpopular. But tell and warn people. Do no ill to Jewish people. Stand by Israel. Warn them about the mark of the Beast, warn them that the whole world will be against Israel. But may they be those who find themselves amongst the sheep who did good for his brethren, who looked after the Jewish people and stood by them. Their faith in that tribulation time will be Messianic. You will not be able to be a believer in the Lord Jesus in the tribulation without having a clear link with Israel, her king Messiah and the people. Leave behind a Methuselah and a Noah message with your life and start today to get it ready. Immediately this DVD comes to conclusion, do something, write a letter to an unsaved friend and write a letter to an unsaved family and do one everyday until you’ve completed the whole of your circle.
Now we need to turn to 2 Kings 2. This is where Elijah ascends to heaven. It’s another picture. And I only want to highlight a couple of things. That is that on the day the Lord Jesus ascended, he clearly told the disciples, ‘I’m going’. And they visibly watched him. On the day that Elijah ascended, a number of people knew, those who were prophetic, those who had an eye for spiritual things.
I have been very interested in the last few weeks here at the end of 2008, in a number of Jewish people, rabbis, including a liberal lady rabbi, not exactly the kind of person I would expect to hear this from, who are anticipating the coming of the Messiah shortly. There are going to be people in this world today, within Israel, within the Jewish community, hardened in part, blinded in part, now being softened and prepared. And what are they understanding? They are understanding things about the temple. They’re understanding that it is the Messianic era, when the numbers despite poor advertising, the numbers of temple faithful expecting 500,000 at the very most, were almost overwhelmed when 5,000 people turned up because of the messianic expectancy. There is a prophetic expectancy.
The Lord Jesus warned the disciples. We will have warning that we are going and we can see this with Elijah. Elijah knew it was time to go, running alongside him was Elisha. And Elisha was told and the prophets and the sons of the prophets knew what was going on. And they visibly watched him go, Elisha did. And as a result of seeing that departure, he got the garment, he got the cloak, it fell on him, it became his responsibility. Further more, he had a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah, the Spirit of the Lord that had graced Elijah came upon him and his miraculous events under the power of the Spirit of God were doubled with that of Elijah.
In that 10-day period, there will be, I believe, an opportunity for believers particularly in association with the Jewish people, to convey to them the witness and truths of the Scriptures that are absolutely necessary for them to continue throughout the tribulation with the salvation message. And just as the proof of the rapture would take us at the end of a set period, so they can enter into this excruciating time of judgment. There will never be one like it before, there will never be one like it after. They will know that just as our conclusion was to the glory of God and to our redemption and salvation, so they can hold on until the end. Remember, Elisha saw it. Some are going to witness what goes on.
We already mentioned about the apostle Paul and the spectacular events that surrounded the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ to this planet to set up the order, sequence and structure of the Church. Paul says when he’s talking about the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4, he doesn’t tell us where it happens and exactly when but he tells us very specifically that he says this, ‘by the word of the Lord, God the Lord Jesus Christ had spoken to him’ and given him an advance warning. This advance warning brings order and we can see that we can be setting on an order that we can continue after our departure. It has to be like that. It always has been. God doesn’t use magic wands and cartoon figures. It’s all very, very practical.
Now I want to read a verse from Revelation 19:7. I want to relate that back to Ephesians 5:25-27. The Lord Jesus means what he says, and he says what he means. We see in Revelation, the bride making herself ready. Those of you who have been married and this particular lady who I am looking at to me, spend a lot of time getting ready and for various events still does. The bride makes herself ready for the groom. Now here, we’re not talking about a physical readiness but a moral readiness. At the level of our spirits, we are washed with the blood of the lamb. On the daily tramp through life, our souls and to a certain extent even our bodies gets sullied, and we have the washing of the water of the word which needs to be throughout the whole of our salvation of the soul-lifetime-experience. We press on, it says in Hebrews, of those to the salvation of the soul, we are not those who fall back but those who press on to the salvation of the soul. That our whole personality and being, our self might be made like Christ. And of course we are fitted and saved, made ready for heaven by the blood of the Lord Jesus, by his finished work on Calvary, not by our works. Nothing that is sinful can enter heavenly presence. Nothing that God would disapprove of can be seen before him and so all our sins are washed away. And at that moment when we are caught up in the air and no doubt stewarded, and ordered, in we go, I don’t know if our new names will be in badges or what I don’t know but we will be stewarded and ordered into the realms of glory and then a series of events will take place there. And our sins are washed away. And our relationship with God the Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely crystal clear and pristine and beautiful.
Ah but what about our relationships with one another? What about the broken relationships, the sins against one another, the sins against those who have probably passed on before? What about the sins between those who passed before? There is a glorious opportunity in that 10-day period for the bride to make herself ready so that having washed her with the word, when he presents her to himself a glorious Church, he does so without spot, without any sense of impurity, without any wrinkle, without any weariness or ageing, the result of fears or trials, or any such thing. And so we read about the bride making herself ready. And this of course is absolutely vital. Because we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus and put right with God, through him, through the Lord Jesus Christ. A relationship with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ is without shadow, is absolutely clear, beautiful and pristine. There’s nothing between us and God. Right now there isn’t and there won’t be on that glorious day.
But what about the things that are between us now? What about the things that are between us and those that have passed on? Or even between those who have passed on, between them that were never resolved before the grave? There is a glorious and wonderful opportunity for the bride to make herself ready in that 10-day period to get ready for meeting the groom, absolutely perfect, to put on the veil as Rebecca did before Isaac. So that when he presents her, having washed her with the water of the word which should be our daily experience, having washed her with the water of the word, then he can present her to himself a glorious Church. Glorious, received up into glory which we will be on that wave-offering day, the completed bread loaves. Not having any spot of impurity in our relationships, nothing that is within us that cannot go in to glory. No virus, no infection of this world, no wrinkles, no weariness, nothing which has aged us nor worn us down in relationships, those relationship that have ground on day in and day out, that made you weary, need to be put right or any such thing. So that when she is drawn into his presence, it is with completely without blemish.
[Ephesians 5:28-29]. The Lord loves and cherishes the Church. He is going to present her to himself free of everything. There are some things that have to be left behind here on terra firma. So he comes to the field, and she puts on the veil and then he takes her up to Sarah’s tent. All of this is for our blessing, a time to put things right on earth before our translation to the general Assembly of the Church of the firstborn register in heaven. No spots, no wrinkles, holy and without blemish. And that’s not just because of the blood of the Lamb and our relationship with him but because of confession to one another.
Jesus will he visit everyone? Well, I think I’ve already dealt with that. There is going to be a sea of activity. The precedent of course is in the 40 days. The Lord Jesus did not appear to everyone who was his disciple or who would become his disciples in that 40-day period. It was selective. And the bulk, all that we’re intended to know, the bulk of it of course is in 1 Corinthians 15. Who were the over-500 at once, it’s not catalogued for us. But there were considerable numbers. But that’s given as evidence of the resurrection and I’m using it to show you that there was selectivity based on divine sovereignty. But over 500 at once is a spectacular number, that’s a goodly number. And if that is repeated on a regular basis, of gatherings of God’s people, it won’t be long in that period, with the technology that is available today, for this information to wheel around the world within 2 or 3 days.
I suspect there will be 3 days because the 10 seem to be split on occasions into 3 and 7. I suspect and I’m here honestly being I hope biblically inspired to be speculative in a holy manner. I’m being speculative but I suspect there will be 3 days of fearsome and ferocious activity from cell phones to internet, to landlines, you name it. It will just fearsomely go round the world with great joy and excitement. And then 7 days of pensive settling and obedience and service before we’re caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
I pointed out that the Lord Jesus was never seen in 2 places at once in that period of time of the 40 days and I do not expect that that will be the case. He is in a human body. However, many saints were raised and they visited many. And I think they will be recognised and they came with testimony and such a thing could be true today. It will only be the saints because it is only the dead in Christ that will be raised. And so they will have testimony of the truth and can go round as representatives of what has happened and of resurrection, handing out to us the implied and certain promise of our translation at the end of that period.
Some people are worried. Could we not be deceived? Satan can appear as an angel of light. Yes, he can but Satan cannot raise the dead. Nor can he blow the divine trumpet which will affect at the deepest level of your spirit, quiver through your soul and shake your body, bones and all when that trump sounds from heaven. Read at Sinai what it did to the people. They wanted it to stop. It will be an earth-shattering event to those who are spiritual. The spiritual man discerns all things and is discerned of no-one. There will be church-going people, Evangelical churches, Pentecostal, Charismatic fellowships, there will be people in there who will not hear because tragically with the diluted Gospel message so-called that has been propagated in the late 20th and early 21stCentury, there are many who sit in Evangelical pews or Pentecostal seats or in Charismatic fellowships on comfortable sofas who have not known the Saviour as personal Saviour and Lord. They have not met him at the cross. Beloved, there are a lot of evangelicalised pagans in the public Evangelical church. They will be some of those who will be most greatly and painfully affected in that 10-day period. I’m sure there are some of them or maybe I should say some of you who in that 10-day period will wish, wish, wish that you had received Christ before but will grasp him with both hands at that time and will hold on to a faith that may well cost you your physical life and protect you from taking the mark of the Beast. And you will have to continue and hold till the end. But there will be in that 10-day period the opportunity for the believer in the Lord Jesus, having dealt with other things to conclude his evangelism, having to change it because it is you who will go to Jesus when you die. It is you who will be washed by the blood that was shed on Calvary’s cross but you can give no message of the rapture. The resurrection that they will experience will be the very concluding part of what we know as the first or the primary resurrection and that will be at the end of the tribulation. But we will be able to give them sufficient help and instruction for them to continue and maybe even practically for them to lay aside such material goods as they conceive they will need to get them readied for the coming tribulation.
So will Jesus visit everyone? No, probably not. But there are the dead in Christ. And there are those of us who are alive and remain when we’ve heard the message and before we’re taken away. And we can hear the message and believe it now. And if I’m right, and you don’t believe it now no offence, beloved, no offence but if I’m right, you will believe it then and you’ll get out, and tell people ‘We will be departing’. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and it’s the day to go.
If the Lord Jesus is alongside his church, he is ordering and preparing. He is presenting her to himself a glorious church, holy and without blemish. That’s in order. Everything that is a blemish is a disorder. Everything that is unholy is joined to the world and not separated in an orderly way to God. That’s what the whole temple system and Levitical order tells us: order, order, order.
1 Peter 1:13, at the unveiling of the Lord Jesus. There’s some point he enters your drawing room or your church sanctuary or wherever you might be and he comes alongside you and unveils himself. It is that you might be loved and inspired by him that you might then at that closing moment put things in order that you might be told the things that you have to do in order for your departure to be most effective as a witness to others. And he wants you to abide in him that when he shall appear you will have confidence. He does not want you to be ashamed.
Beloved, get as much done in being right with the Lord Jesus Christ and with your brethren now. So that those days of waiting upon him might truly be 10 days of all. Days of waiting, of prayer and supplication in preparation for the kingdom of God. Eagerly await him now so that at his second appearing, you will see him and you will be with him.
You may not believe me. I began by saying I have no other agenda than to bring what I believe, a final and concluding extension to our understanding of the rapture. There’s probably more. I cannot believe that until we are finally removed from the planet, that every truth that there is, in this amazing and wonderful book has been mined and has been taken out and put on the body of Christ for its consumption. We will press on and we will continue to examine what the Bible has to say and see if we can learn anymore. One of the greatest hindrances, yes I quoted this earlier, you know to learning and understanding the truth is the assumption that we have it all already.
I would ask you to go over these DVDs again, I will ask you to blindfold such reactions as you may have, your prejudices, your feelings, your fears and to do your best to examine this biblical material objectively. You may not believe me but you have heard me. And when the shout and the trumpet sounds and you don’t disappear up through clouds, up through the ceiling into the clouds, and you’re still seated here, a quiver, get on the phone to your brethren. You’ve found out it’s happened to all of them. Tell them it’s 10 days and counting. And be ready for great-aunt Maud who went to be with Jesus 10 years ago to knock on the door. He is coming soon beloved. Whether this teaching from the Scriptures is a fantasy and an imagination or whether it’s exposition of the word of God in a more detailed way than you’ve heard before, you must as a good Berrian judge that yourself. But what is without any shadow of a doubt true is that our Lord Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us will not leave us here much longer. Soon and very soon we are going to see the King.{13}
