Tribulation! If the Church is there, that is all she will be thinking about. This passage which speaks of the un expectedness of His coming, is robbed of its clear meaning if Tribulation precedes the rapture. Once again hear our Lord, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares” (Luke 21:34). Can anyone picture this as happening during the terrible reign of the Anti christ? Believers eating and drinking and occupied with business cares so as to forget to watch for Christ, and this in a day when death, destruction, and blood-red persecution are stalking the land? Tell me this — in such a day if the church were on earth, who would dream of saying, “My Lord delayeth His coming?” What servant will “begin to eat and drink with the drunken” when believers cannot buy food? In a day when the enemies of God are stalking the earth for the blood of the saints, how could any ser vant of God be found “ sleeping” ? The Beast will see that every believer on earth is awake in that day. See then how rapture after the Tribulation would vitiate every Scrip ture that declares His coming for the church will be entirely unannounced. Put the rapture at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and every such passage becomes intelligible. Prophecy is not easy to interpret, yet prophetic interpretation is possible and pre eminently important. We must in dealing with the time of the rapture learn to distinguish between “ counted worthy to suffer,” and “ accounted worthy to escape.” The Great Tribu lation is entirely different from the ordinary trials of the Christian life. It is something unique in history both before and after. Jesus said so, “ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” It is so different in nature and purpose that far from counting them selves worthy to suffer (Acts 5:41), our Lord urged believers to watch and pray that they might be “ ac counted worthy to escape” it (Luke 21:36). A careful coordination of these and other seemingly contradictory Scriptures, will, I believe, end this divergence of views, will harmonize prophecy, will prove that rapture pre cedes the Tribulation, and will enable the Christian to greet every waking day as the possible day of Christ’s coming. This position, and no other, is in harmony with all prophecy for “ in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.” END
T H I N K O F I T ! O N L Y $ 8 A M O N T H You may select your own child from the pictures above and become a sponsor of one of these dear Korean oiphan children. Each one has a heartbreaking story. For instance, number 1A Kim Jung Ja was bom in Seoul April 5, 1949. In 1950 the Communists kidnapped her father and he has not been heard from since. The same year our bombers killed the mother! Neighbors rescued the child and fled to the South. After various experiences she was brought to our Garden of Eden Orphanage in Pusan, which is in desperate need now. Each child is waiting to have an American “ Daddy and Mommie” ! For only $8 a month — just 26 pennies a day — you or your Sunday School, Bible Class, Junior Church, Ladies Group, etc., will help bring Christ to your chosen boy or girl and train him to be a Christian leader in Korea. This $8 provides all the needs of the child, including the school tuition which is not free in Korea. The ESEA is caring for over 2000 orphans, war widows and children of lepers. Many more are in desperate need, homeless, cold and hungry. Help us expand our 28 Homes. Each one is a real Christian institution. All Staff and Board members are earnest Bible believing Christians. Korea’s severe winter is near. W ill you help us so that we may take many more children off the streets and into our Homes? Write or phone NOW! j----------------------------------- CLIP AND MAIL TODAY___________________________________ ( ) YES I want to "adopt" an orphan for one year. My choice is Number . . . . If this child has already been adopted, I agree to support another whom I you will select. With God's help I will send $8 a month. Please let me have my child's name, picture, address and story. I understand I may i continue after one year if I wish to. SEND FULL PARTICULARS. ( ) I cannot "adopt" a child, but want to help by giving $.............................................. I I ( ) Please send me further information. Name ....................................................................................................................... Address ............................................................................................................................ | City ...................................................... Zone.............. State...................................................... , Gifts of any amount are welcome. Sponsorings are income tax deductible. THE EVERETT SWANSON EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION, INC. A Non-Profit Corporation Dept. E-10 4848 North Leonard Drive Chicago 31, Illinois Telephone: GLadstone 6-6181
OCTOBER, 1959
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