Does the Mayan Calendar Predict
2012 Apocalypse?
USA Today - With humanity coming up fast on 2012, publishers are helping readers gear up and count down to this mysterious — some even call it apocalyptic — date that ancient Mayan societies were anticipating thousands of years ago. A fourth is due this fall. Each arrives in the wake of the 2006 success of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, which has been selling thousands of copies a month since its release in May and counts more than 40,000 in print. The books also build on popular interest in the Maya, fueled in part by Mel Gibson's December 2006 film about Mayan civilization, Apocalpyto. Authors disagree about what humankind should expect on Dec. 21, 2012, when the Maya's "Long Count" calendar marks the end of a 5,126-year era.

   Comment: There is a lot of buzz about this subject on the Internet and there have been a good number of people asking me about it at conferences and through email. My response is always the same. Why would anyone interested in the subject of end times be more concerned with whatever the Mayans believed than the proven prophets of God? Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and others wrote extensively about the end times. They have spelled out fairly clearly how the end times would play out. None of God's prophets have ever been discredited because they prophesied falsely. Their credibility is "over the top" on the issue. Yet, many people prefer to pay attention to other sources. In this case, the Mayan calendar.
    What is significant here is the fact that the Mayan calendar simply ends at 2012. The subject is left hopelessly to speculation from that point. Unlike hopeless speculations, God's prophets gave us the full picture. Thanks to them, the future is very clear:
    1.) Israel would be scattered from their land.
    2.) The Church would be founded and operate in the interim.
    2.) After many years, the Jewish people would return.
    3.) Israel would be reestablished and rebuilt as a nation
    4.) Israel would have to fight for their lives.
    5.) All nations would eventually come against Israel.
    6.) The Lord would fight against those nations at His return.
    7.) The Lord would set up His Kingdom in Israel for 1,000 years.
    8.) God would then bring New Jerusalem down and dwell among man forever. (See Ezekiel 33-48 and Revelation 19-22

Question: Will the Antichrist be a Muslim?

Answer: I do not believe so. The following are the reasons why.

    1). He (the Antichrist) shows no regard for the God of his fathers - he magnifies himself above them all (Dan. 11:37). This would be against the first pillar of Islam. All followers must state that there is no God but Allah. No Muslim can declare himself to be god, especially in a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem as the Antichrist will in II Thess. 2. If one did, the 1.2 billion Muslims around the world would have him beheaded before the sun sets.

    2.) It appears that the world is about to witness the collapse of Islam. Inside the Muslim world there is desperation. This Allah is supposed to be greater, but 1.2 billion Muslims are witnessing that Allah cannot expel six million Jews from Israel for the last 60 years. He is not greater and history is proving it. Jehovah is greater!

    3.) Daniel declares that the Antichrist will come from the people who destroyed the city (Jerusalem) and the Sanctuary (Temple) in Daniel 9:26. We know that Titus and the Roman 5th Legion who were in charge of the operation against the Jews and the Temple in 70A.D., were Italian Roman. The orders came from Rome, Italy. Those who destroyed the Temple were loyal to Caesar and Rome, Italy.

    4.) A strong point: All this is interesting to ponder, but in the end, if one believes in a Rapture before the Tribulation, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE!!! The Antichrist cannot be revealed until He that now restrains him is taken out of the way and that will be during the coming Tribulation.

Question: Some people have the bent that all Arabs (Ishmael's offspring) are mapped out only for disaster prophetically. Can you point me to a Scripture that addresses this issue?

Answer: Ishmael's descendants were to inherit the land "east of his brothers" (Gen. 16:12). This would include the countries of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, etc. Ishmael's violent tendencies are also prophesied there in Genesis 16:12.

However, according to Isaiah 19:23-25, peace will finally one day be achieved between Ishmael and his brother, Isaac. Together, when this Scripture is fulfilled, they will enjoy great blessings from the Lord. "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, 'Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance". Isaiah 19:23-25 (NAS). How we should all long to see this prophecy fulfilled!

Question: Is there any one Scripture that causes you to conclude that the Rapture of the Church will take place before the Tribulation?

Answer: Yes. Revelation 3:10 says, "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth". (NAS)

Comment: Notice that this verse says that this group of people will be kept from the time of testing (the Tribulation), not just protected through it.

Dear Gary,
I would like your opinion on the pre wrath stance. For many years I was a firm believer in the pre-trib. teachings but have after much study gone over to pre wrath. I do know that our salvation does not depend on where we stand in regards to the rapture, but being prepared is very important. I am just curious as to what you believe. By the way I am new to your site and I love it!!!
Toni Tanksley

 Dear Toni,
You are right that our salvation does not depend on our understanding of the timing of the Rapture, whether at the beginning of, at the middle, or at the end of the Tribulation, thank God!!! There are many good and godly people who differ on this issue. Neither should we use our understanding of the timing of the Rapture as a test of fellowship between Christians! This is just not an issue that we should divide over! The saints of all ages will spend eternity together whether they were pre, mid, or post.

As you have probably discerned already, I am a proponent of the
Pre tribulation Rapture, meaning that I believe that the Rapture of the Church will occur before the Tribulation begins.

The pre wrath stance in my opinion, popularized by Marvin Rosenthal, has a serious flaw! That flaw rests in the fact that Brother Rosenthal defines only the seventh seal of Revelation, the last part of Daniel's 70th week, as the "wrath" of God. He reasons that since the Church has been promised deliverance only from the "wrath" that is to come (Rom 5:9, I Thess. 1:10. I Thess. 5:9), then defining that "wrath" will determine the timing of the Rapture.

The strongest refute to this reasoning can be found at Revelation Five. Jesus is found poised in history in Revelation 5 ready to take a scroll that is sealed with seven seals from God the Father. When He does, He breaks the first seal of this scroll and the result is the Tribulation. In fact, during the first four seals, which occur during the first half of the Tribulation, 25% of the world's population dies as a result of the war, plagues, and famine. If this were to occur today, it would mean that 1.5 billion people would die. Because Jesus is the one initiating this carnage by breaking the seals Himself, I conclude that all of the Tribulation is the "wrath" of God, not just the seventh seal.

Accordingly, if all of the seven year Tribulation can be called the
"wrath" of God, and the Church has been promised deliverance from the "wrath" (Rom. 5:9, I Thess. 1:10, I Thess. 5:9), then the pre tribulation Rapture position is a natural conclusion.

I am convinced that the Church, regardless of our individual persuasions on this issue, should be joining hands and saying to the world that people should be ready for the Rapture whenever it occurs and that the day is drawing very near!

Rev. Fisher,
Do you consider yourself a modern day prophet or apostle. If so what is your biblical basis for the continuation of these offices? I consider myself open-minded to other people's theological views and i am just interested.
Andrew Overby

No, I am not a prophet, I am a student of the Bible prophets. I do not believe it necessary for God to have prophets today who can tell the future, because His prophets have already done that and have revealed their prophecies in the Bible. We do well to pay attention to what they have already said rather than to someone claiming to have new revelation material from God!
Gary

Hello, People of light, I need to know the SPECIFICS of the Lion and the Lamb for the prophecy to be fulfilled. The original writings without any interpretations would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to know your opinions of the Rainbow family. As I was born Assembly of God, but I am a christian, I do not categorize my beliefs to any sect, but only a loyal servant of the almighty above. Please get back to me on this. Living Strong Of Heart The GypsyLion
GypsyLion

Dear GypsyLion,
I am not sure how to address your request, but I'll try. Jesus Christ came the first time as a suffering lamb, the "Lamb of God". He was wounded for our transgressions. He paid the price for our sins. Though Jesus came the first time as this suffering lamb, the Scriptures are plain that the next time time He comes, He is coming as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). He is coming to execute wrath on those who are disobedient to His Word. Thus, Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb.
Gary 

Do you believe there is anything to the Millennium Sabbath theory (six days = 6000 yrs. & the seventh day = the 1000 yr. Millennium)? If there is, then we are fast approaching the end of 6000 yrs. since the fall of Adam... what are your thoughts?
Mark Hauth

Dear Mark,
There are some interesting Scriptures that suggest the millennial day theory! Note that there is not enough Scripture for us to be dogmatic about this issue, but it is interesting to ponder! It is also very exciting to me to consider that the theory has merit, because we are closing in on the end of the six thousandth year since Adam and Eve, and the beginning of the seventh, the Millennium, during which Jesus Christ, Himself, will rule the world with peace, righteousness, and justice! Am I ever looking forward to this time!

Perhaps, it was Peter's writing that spawned this theory. He wrote,
"that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (II Peter 3:8). Some take this to literally mean that with God, one day = 1,000 earth years and 1,000 earth years = one day. Barnabas, Paul the Apostle's traveling mate, evidently was one of these.

Barnabas revealed in his writings that he believed that history would consist of six thousand years followed by one thousand years of Jesus, Himself, ruling the earth. He wrote, "Therefore, my children, in six days, that is, in six thousand years, all things will be finished. ... then shall He truly rest on the seventh day... wickedness no longer existing, and all things having been made new by the Lord...". Barnabas continues to say that on the eighth day, God will make the beginning of a new world.

Another interesting piece of Scripture that raises the thousand-year-day question, occurs in Hosea. Hosea 6:1-2 says, "Come, let us return to the Lord, for He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day that we may live before Him". Almost two thousand years (two days) have transpired since Jesus of Nazareth was rejected by Hosea's people. The "third day" is drawing near!

If the thousand year day theory has merit, it would also explain why Jesus would use the language He used several times in Revelation when He said, "I am coming quickly". Instead of thinking that it has been almost two thousand years since He said this, we could be thinking that it has only been almost two days!

Whether there is any merit to this theory or not, there are plenty of other reasons for us to believe that Jesus is returning soon! I wish it were today!
Gary 

Question: Did the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin have any prophetic significance?

Answer: First let me say that Lion of Judah regrets Mr. Rabin's life ending in such a way.

As far as the prophetic significance, I do not know of any specific prophecy that was fulfilled by this tragedy. However, Mr. Rabin was a strong proponent of the new policy in Israel of giving up land in exchange for peace which is a highly charged emotional issue among the Jewish people in Israel. The land of Israel is a subject discussed very much in Bible prophecy. There are many fires of emotion that burn in the Israeli heart concerning the land of Israel, since many of the people living there now have had to fight for, toil for, and struggle for the land. Giving up this land is something that is not supported in the hearts of the Jewish people.

The policy of giving land in exchange for peace is very much in question in the prophetic scene that is presented in the Bible. Several of the Prophets predicted that Israel would return to their own land and live on the soil that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jeremiah was one of these prophets. He wrote: "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when they will no longer say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.' Then they will live on their own soil"
(Jer 23: 7-8 NASB).

Ezekiel was another of these prophets. He wrote: "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land."  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols."  Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."  And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. (Ezek 36:24- 28 NASB)

Again the prophet Amos wrote concerning the land: "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, they will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit."  I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15 NASB)

As o n e can see from the reading of these sc riptures, the land of Israel would play a very important part in fulfilling God's promises to the Jews in the time of the end. The policy of giving up the land does not fit these prophecies. Neither has it ever made sense that Mr. Rabin would be willing to surrender land that he, himself fought for as a soldier in the Israeli army. According to Ezekiel 36:22-24, God will use the people and the land of Israel to prove His holiness and mighty power to the world after they have been brought back from all the lands where they have been scattered over the centuries. It doesn't make sense that God would have a plan to restore the land and the Israeli government would, at the same time, have one to give the land away.

Question: Isn't the "last trump" of I Cor. 15:52 the same as the 7th & last trumpet in Revelation and doesn't this indicate that the rapture occurs at some point during the "Tribulation"?

Answer: The question you have asked is one that I also struggled with for a long time. I rejoiced the day I discovered that there is a serious differentiation between the trumpets of I Cor. 15:52 and Rev. 11:15. First Thessalonians is a book that discusses the concept of the coming of the Lord and provides further illumination. If you will notice, at I Thess. 4:16, the Lord Himself blows the trumpet. At Rev. 11:15, an angel blows the trumpet. Also notice that the saints meet the Lord in the air in I Thessalonians while at Rev. 11:15, the Kingdom of Jesus begins on earth. These words are not describing the same event.

Also the argument of the Lord Himself blowing the trumpet is strengthened by studying the parallel between the Jewish Feast of Trumpets and the future Rapture. The Feast of Trumpets begins at the blowing of a trumpet and it ends with the blowing of a trumpet. There are the "first" and the "last" trumpets of this feast. I believe this is what Paul is talking about at I Cor. 15:52 where he uses the term "the last trumpet". Also, it is significant that only the High Priest could blow this "last trumpet". I ask you: Who is the High Priest today? It is Jesus Christ.

I firmly believe that there is going to be a Rapture before the coming "Great Tribulation". But, I want to emphasize that the main question about the Rapture should not be concerning its timing, but the question should be: Is one ready whenever it should occur? I believe the Church should be asking this question to her people: If the Rapture should occur five minutes or five years from now, are you ready?

I rejoice that you are interested in and studying end time Bible prophecy. To further enhance your understanding of the Rapture, I would like to recommend that you order the tape from our catalogue entitled, " Rapture Before The Tribulation".

Question: "Do you believe all children under the age of accountability will be included in the Rapture, or only children of saved parents"?

Answer: I have come to the conclusion that neither the faith of the children's parents or their age of accountability come into play in this question. I believe that Ephesians 1:4 will have the greatest bearing when the Rapture occurs. It says, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Notice the phrase, "before the foundation of the world". God knew before the foundation of the world who would accept Him and who would not. God is outside of time. He can see the beginning and the end and the in between, all at the same time. God, unlike us, can look into the crib of the little innocent baby and see that same baby at thirty years old, robbing and shooting up a bank with automatic rifles. He can also look into another crib and see an innocent baby, five years later in Sunday School, praying and asking Jesus to come into his heart. God knows all of this from the foundation of the world. It is on this basis, the basis of His foreknowledge, I believe, that He will decide who goes up in the Rapture.

Question: Does the Holy Spirit get taken out of the world at the Rapture?

Answer: No! I do not believe the Bible teaches this although there are some godly, scholarly, men who do. The argument advanced for the support of this idea usually is taken from 2 Thess. 2:7- 8. It is stated there, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way". "And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming".

The setting for this chapter is some point before the Tribulation. The "man of lawlessness" is obviously the Antichrist. The "restrainer", I believe, is the Holy Spirit as is His role described in John 16:8, not the Church as some teach. The pronoun "he" describing the restrainer here should be feminine, not masculine, if this was describing the Church. Notice that this "restrainer" will do so until he is taken out "of the way", not out of the world!

This verse says to me, that there is currently a condition of lawlessness in the world that is driven by the same force that a will drive the Antichrist. At some point in the future, the Holy Spirit will stop restraining this force, at which point the Antichrist will be revealed during the coming Tribulation.

I do not believe the Holy Spirit can be absent from the world scene during the Tribulation because John, the author, describes at least two groups of people who will be saved during the Tribulation in Revelation 7. One group is the "144 Thousand" in verse 4, another group, those who have come out of the great Tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the lamb in verse 14. If salvation is possible during the Tribulation, the Holy Spirit must be present because of the words Jesus revealed to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 saying, " unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God".

No one at any point in history can be saved outside of the personal work of the Holy Spirit. It is His work that accomplishes the "new birth" without which no one will ever see the kingdom of God. I believe this truth demands that the Holy Spirit will be on earth during the Tribulation.

I believe another question comes into play here: Can the Holy Spirit be removed from anywhere? I believe the answer to this question is no. Remember that God's Spirit is omnipresent. This means He is everywhere at the same time. This is what David meant when he said in Psalm 139:8-10, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me".

God is omnipresent. He will not be taken out of the world. He is everywhere!

Question: Isn't it true that the things many prophecy teachers call "signs" have been happening throughout history?

Answer: Only some of the signs have occurred throughout history. For example: Earthquakes, disease, and famine have occurred several times in history. The point about these particular signs is not that they would occur in history, but that they would increase in frequency and intensity in the time of the end, like birth pangs upon a woman with child (Matt. 24:8). Yes, these particular signs have been occurring in the past, but nothing like they have in the last 90 years. I don't think anyone that has done research these fields could deny that there has been an increase both in frequency and intensity in this century.

It cannot be said that all of the signs have been occurring all along. Take, for example, the first sign in the leading article of this newsletter. There is only one time in history that the Jewish people have gathered back to the land of Israel from all over the world. That time is now! From 70 A.D. until 1948, there wasn't an Israel for the Jewish people to come back to.

Neither has there been a restoration of Europe since the Roman Empire ceased to be a major power. But, today, as the second article in this newsletter points out, we are seeing the Roman Empire (European Community) coming together. Several have tried and failed to unite Europe under one authority. Napoleon and Hitler were among them but , it was not meant to be until now. Both of these "signs" are coming together in our century as are many others.

I will develop in the next newsletters, the rest of the major signs. Until then, I wish you would write and ask for the "Signs of the Times" outline so that you could see all of them together, on one sheet of paper. After you look them over and possibly look up the accompanying Scriptures, you should ask yourself the question: Why, in this century, are all these things coming together at one time? Then, ask yourself another question: Am I ready for the return of Jesus Christ? Read Romans 10:9&10 and please let us know at Lion of Judah if we can help you get ready!

Question: There seems to be a running theme of "putting down" prosperity (in the material sense). Does God want us to live in poverty or is it okay to work to be prosperous as long as you work and live your life following God's Word?

Answer: It is not wrong to be prosperous and attain material wealth. It is wrong for a Christian to be unwilling to share that wealth for the spreading of the Gospel and/or helping the needy of the world. Achieving material goals can be healthy, but not at the expense of ignoring the needs of the House of God. One day, probably soon, each believer will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account of his or her life. I would not want to be in the shoes of the person who appears at that judgment who has placed his/her priorities on bigger boats, bigger houses, expensive cars, jewelry, et cetera. If the Lord has blessed you with material wealth, thank and praise Him for it, then use as much of it as you can to spread His Word, especially in these end times!

Question: I believe your insistence about the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation is as dangerous as date setting! What if you are wrong? Will Christians be prepared to persevere properly?

Answer: I believe a Christian's ability to persevere in times of trouble is unrelated to what one believes about the timing of the Rapture, or, at least, it should be! There are thousands of Christians in various parts of the world today, many believing in a Rapture before the Tribulation, who are enduring persecution. Responsible teaching about the Rapture should never include the message that God's people will not endure trouble, but that they will be delivered from a special time of God's wrath, called the Tribulation, that is coming upon the earth (Revelation 3:10, I Thess 5:9, Romans 5:9).

Question: Since Christ is predicted to receive a church "having no spot or blemish" (Ephesians 5:27), do you believe that the church achieves this through persecution?

Answer: No, no, and a hundred times no! I do not believe that anything serves to purify the church except the redemptive work of Christ Himself! I do not believe that enduring a million persecutions including the Great Tribulation, will ever justify anyone before God! Ephesians 5:26, just one verse before says that Christ has already cleansed the church. It is past tense. It has already happened! And He cleanses her by the washing of the Word, not by any persecution.

I would like to further comment that believing that the church must go through persecution to achieve a "no spot or blemish" status is playing right into the scheme of those false teachers who try to maintain a justification by works doctrine. The Scriptures are very plain that man is justified by faith in God alone!