When? explores many pressing questions about which prophecies will be fulfilled before the Rapture. It explains the seven major prophecies that have been fulfilled, the four that have begun fulfillment today, and the fifteen other major prophecies that will be fulfilled before the Rapture. Bible students have tried to determine when the Lord will return. Unfortunately, many have stumbled over the doctrine of imminence-the idea that Jesus Christ could return at any moment. In their search for When?, they have spent much time in futility as Ponce de Leon did in his search for the fountain of youth which he ultimately discovered did not exist. They, like him, have been led astray by a doctrine that is not taught anywhere in sacred Scripture. As long as they keep looking for that elusive fountain of youth, imminence, they will never be able to recognize the when because they do not know the answer to what. Until the answer to "what" is discovered, we will never know when the Rapture may happen. When? examines both the when and the what-helping you to know the warning signs of the approaching Tribulation.
WHEN?
By F. Kenton Beshore R. William KelleriUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2011 Dr. F. Kenton Beshore with R. William Keller
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4502-8870-5Contents
FOREWORD..............................................................7PREFACE...............................................................8INTRODUCTION..........................................................111. THE VALLEY.........................................................172. THE RAPTURE........................................................253. WARNING SIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN FULFILLED.............................314. WARNING SIGNS THAT ARE BEING FULFILLED.............................355. WARNING SIGNS THAT WILL BE FULFILLED...............................436. EARLY CHURCH FATHERS...............................................637. REFORMERS..........................................................838. MODERN ERA.........................................................879. COMMANDS TO BE ALERT...............................................11710. THE GAP...........................................................12711. SEVEN CHURCH PERIODS..............................................14112. THE DOCTRINE OF IMMINENCE.........................................14513. IS THE RAPTURE IMMINENT?..........................................15714. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE..............................................17915. WORLD CHURCH......................................................20516. WORLD ECONOMY.....................................................21117. WORLD GOVERNMENT..................................................21718. BIG BROTHER.......................................................225CONCLUSION............................................................234AFTERWORD.............................................................253GLOSSARY..............................................................255APPENDIX A Tribulation warning signs.................................261What you must do to be saved..........................................263Discipleship..........................................................264APPENDIX C Brief arguments concerning Imminence......................265APPENDIX D Rejection of other Rapture positions......................267APPENDIX E Peter's bones.............................................273APPENDIX F Incorrect predictions by Christians.......................275APPENDIX G New World Order Gang......................................299NOTES.................................................................309ABOUT THE AUTHORS.....................................................313BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................315
Chapter One
THE VALLEY
The Old Testament prophets saw two distinct comings of the Messiah. They saw the first coming in which the Messiah would die for mankind. They also saw the second coming in which the Messiah would establish His physical kingdom on Earth. Between the two comings (mountain peaks) is a valley (the duration between the two comings). They did not know how large that valley is, but they gave some definite hints of its size.
Isaiah 61
The key to Pre-Millennial and Pre-Tribulation eschatology is found in the 61st chapter of the book of Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers. But ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah; men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I, Jehovah, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed. I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth its bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Jehovah will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isaiah 61.1-11)
This prophecy shows the Messiah will usher in three different periods of time:
1. A long time likened to a year (at His First Coming). 2. A short period of time likened to a day (at the Rapture). 3. A time of comfort to all that mourn in Zion (at His Glorious Appearing).
These three periods of time are: 1. The Christian dispensation. 2. The seven-year Tribulation. 3. The Millennial Kingdom.
Jesus began his ministry by bringing in the first period of time — the Christian dispensation (Luke 4.18-19). On the day that He raptures the Church. He will usher in the second period — the Tribulation. Then at the end of the Tribulation with His glorious appearing, He will bring in the third period of time — the Millennial Kingdom.
The length of the Tribulation in relation to the Christian dispensation is like one day is to a year. The Tribulation will be seven years in length, so the Christian dispensation would be about 360 times as long, or approximately 2520 years. Remember, it is not an exact relationship, but an approximate one. That means if we took it absolutely literally it would be, but we believe He is showing an approximate period of time.
It has been a tradition for more than 2000 years for Jews in every congregation to read the same passage on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath that Jesus went to the synagogue and read the passage in Isaiah 61, that same passage was read in every synagogue in the world. Jesus stopped reading after the phrase, "to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor." He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and then said, "Today hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4.21). He did not read on and say, "and the day of vengeance of our God" (the Tribulation) and "to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion" (Millennial Kingdom), because those prophecies would not be fulfilled for nearly 2000 years. This is the foundational passage for the doctrine of Pre-Millennialism, which teaches that the Second Coming...
