Over the years there has been only one,
humanly speaking, that has prevented
world communism. That is the United
States of America. Its nuclear power and
ability and willingness to use it.

What is it that has happened to the United
States that makes the Prince of Rosh feel
that he can move without resistance to the
South?

One, of course, is the Rapture of the
Church! It would take the leadership
class; and if several million people were
gone, it would be difficult for the country
to quickly regain itself as a major power.

Maybe that's why it's hard to find America
in the final picture in the Word of God???

The "Evil Empire" isn't going to die without
a whimper.

Its doom will take place as it loses its army
on the northern mountains of Israel.

Their shortages of everything and their unful-
filled ambitions will force them to attempt
a lightning strike to the South.

The remaining Soviet Union forces us to
face two aspects:

They have a diamond-hard military estab-
lishment.

They are running short of everything
including oil.

Russia continues its course. The world
leaders said "the breakup of the Soviet
Empire" and "Communism is dissolving
before our eyes."

This may be true, but what took its place
still has 11,000 nuclear warheads pointed
at the United States.

We are told that they still 'could destroy
the United States in thirty minutes'.

Rome revived [Europe] will bring the world
the Antichrist.

He will apprear after the Rapture of the
Church.

It is at the beginning of the Tribulation that
'the man of sin' will be revealed.

The Bible indicates that there will be four
great empires. They are Babylon, Media-
Persia, Greece and Rome.

The Roman Empire will be revived in the
last days. The closest to it is our present
day Europe. When we hear of 'the United
States of Europe' we sense an empire that
is creating itself right before our eyes.

But in the Tribulation Israel will make a
peace treaty with "the prince that shall come"
Daniel 9:26, the leader of Europe.

This treaty will signal the beginning of the
Tribulation Period.

Now, Israel is being forced by many countries
and particularly the United States, to make
peace with the Palestinian and the neighboring
Arabs.

The program is called 'Land for Peace' which
is totally against the word of God.

Today the Jews have been gathered
together after being scattered around the
world for many centuries and are now in
their own land again.

Israel became a nation again in 1948. It
has been able to survive despite hopeless
odds and many wars.

In the Gulf War, Israel was the only nation
which was attacked by devilish Scud missiles.
But by divine protection, casualties were
light.

Not since World War II has there been such
a spirit of expectation in the world as there
is now; in both the religious and secular
societies.

In the Middle East, and especially with Israel,
we have seen occasions which appear to be
much like those predicted in the prophetic
word.

The timing of the Rapture with reference to
the Tribulation is clear - the Rapture will take
place before the days of the Tribulation.

The timing of the Rapture with reference to
the Church Age is also clear - the Rapture will
end the Church Age.

People everywhere are wondering how we
should consider the timing of the Rapture
when we watch the developments of our
present time.

It is clear that the Church must be taken out
of the world before the days of the Tribulation.

This is because it would be impossible to have
the message of the Gospel of the grace of God
and at the same time have the Gospel of the
kingdom as related to by the Lord.

The Rapture is the event that marks the end
of the Church age and the beginning of the
Day of the Lord, which starts with the Trib-
ulation.

The religion of the Tribulation will also
bring the rebuilding of the Temple (2 Thess-
alonians 2:4).

Also the establishing of Temple sacrifices
(Daniel 9:27).

And other forms of Old Testament-like
Jewish worship.

So the religion in the world during the
Tribulation will be Judaism, or as some
moderns might call it, "Neo-Judaism".

It appears that the Sabbath day will be re-
constituted.

The rule is that a Sabbath day's journey
must not be violated on that day.

In the next verse, Christ reveals of what era
he is speaking. "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the begin-
ning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be."

The message of the Tribulation as given to
us by Jesus Himself is not the same.

He warns about the coming of the "abom-
ination of desolation" as signaling that the
Tribulation is fully come on the world.

He says, "And woe unto those who are
with child, and to those who nurse child-
ren in those days! But pray that your
flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day," Matthew 24:19-20

All who believe in the finished work of the
cross and accept salvation as a free gift from
God are given everlasting life.

By making this decision, they become heirs
of God, joint heirs with Jesus, and objects
of His blessings for all eternity.

The message of the Church is that because
of the death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, God has a free gift for man.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord." Romans 6:23

There is a point that is not understood by
Christians in our time and not understood
at all by the world.

This world still believes a mistaken view of
Christianity.

It thinks that the Church makes the annouce-
ment, "If you come to church, you will go to
heaven" or "If you clean up your act and live
straight, you will be forgiven of God and you
will make Heaven someday"

This isn't the message of the Church at all!

Believing Christians, saved during the Day
of Grace, will be heirs of the universe.

The event that marks these two eras in
God's dealings with mankind is the Rapture
of the Church.

Remember that the believing Jews and the
believing Gentiles during the Tribulation
will be heirs of the world. "For the promise,
that he should be the heir of the world, was
not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the
law, but through the righteousness of faith."
Romans 4:13

A day is coming when the Body of Christ will
be complete. And this group will be raptured
out of this world.

At that time, God will renew His plans with
the nation of Israel and will again declare
that "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The believers in Jesus Christ during the
Tribulation are saved by faith as always.

They are saved onto the kingdom that will,
during the Millennium and then throughout
eternity, produce Heaven on earth.

A guilty humanity, by faith in Christ, could
be saved by grace.

They would inherit not only the kingdom
of Heaven, but be heirs, perhaps rulers of
the universe. How fortunate are the people
in the Body of Christ!

Man is guilty! God, if He were to save man,
He must open a court.

There, He can declare guilty sinners, when
they admit their sins, to be forgiven.

He has been conducting this court for about
2,000 year.

There He declares sinners guilty and then,
if they agree, they are cleansed in the blood
of Jesus. It is called "faith".

There is, and can be, no other way.

The people of Israel rejected both the King
and the kingdom He offered.

This rejection wasn't just verbal, but also
scriptural. They nailed Him to the cross.

That's when everything changed. Sinful man
was now disqualified from salvation by just
receiving the kingdom. If he were to be saved
he must be saved by grace. No deals, no
nothing!