supplemental-notes-the-physics-of-immortality-chuck-missler

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Supplemental Notes:
From Here
to Eternity
The Physics of Immortality
and
1 Corinthians 15
How can a decomposed body be resurrected?
How can we reconcile the resurrection with
the laws of science? And if Jesus’ Second
Coming is preceded by seven years of events,
how can we expect Him at any moment?
This study reviews the physics of immortal-
ity, the geometry of eternity, and the real
nature of our true selves.
© 1995 Koinonia House Inc.

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From Here to Eternity
Tape 1: The Physics of Immortality
Jurassic Park Feasible?
Michael Crichton’s book (and blockbuster movie) Ju-
rassic Park explored the feasibility of cloning pre-
historic animals from the DNA captured by a
prehistoric mosquito encapsulated in amber.
Each of the human body’s 75 trillion cells (except for
the red blood cells), has a full complement of chro-
mosomes in its nucleus. Each nucleus has 46 chro-
mosomes in 23 pairs. In each chromosome is a
wadded-up strand of DNA which includes hundreds
of millions of base pairs. Stretched out straight, it
would measure 3 - 9 feet long and about 20 atoms
across.
The DNA code is universal: the human, the rat, the
bat, the mouse, the worm, or the fruit fly. Thus, all
the codes of life came from the same “software
house.” [For further background on DNA see The
Grand Adventure and Beyond Time and Space brief-
ing packages, and also the notes from the Genesis
commentary, Volume 1.]
Dinosaur DNA Recovered
Beijing University scientists have obtained some gene
fragments from the DNA of a fossilized dinosaur egg
in China’s Henan province. They have found 305
nearly intact dinosaur eggs and 20,000 shell pieces
recovered from 24 nests.
Last year, Brigham Young University researchers
apparently isolated a bit of dinosaur DNA from some
bony remains in an 1,800-foot-deep coal mine in
Provo, Utah. The genetic material matches no liv-
ing mammal, bird, or reptile. The discovery is only a
small fragment of one gene and Scott R. Woodward,
lead microbiologist of the team from Brigham Young
University, said he has no plans to follow the plot of
Jurassic Park and attempt to clone a living animal.
But the very idea has interesting Biblical implica-
tions to the astute observer.
Six Is the Number of Man
At the cellular level, an intact human immune sys-
tem will virtually always recognize and reject a non-
human transplant as foreign. What is the underlying
characteristic within humanity that speaks of our
uniqueness?
Located on virtually every nucleated cell in a hu-
man body are small markers (lipoproteins to be pre-
cise) called antigens. Their official designation is
“histocompatibility antigen” or “human leukocyte
antigen (HLA).” These particular antigens are the
same in every human and are only found in hu-
mans, although given individuals may have differ-
ent arrangements and collections of these molecules.
(For example, these antigens are responsible for the
different ABO and Rh systems important in blood
transfusions.)
The irony is that in every person, on virtually every
cell, this marker of mankind is a product of one
certain chromosome: Chromosome #6!
Resurrection Bodies?
The very idea that an ancient living animal can be
recreated from its genetic history encoded in a single
DNA molecule should give us a provocative insight
into the potential technology of immortality and the
resurrection!

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1971 US Naval Observatory experiment: eastward
plane lost .06 microsecond; westward gained .27
microsecond.) Hypothetical experiment with twin
astronauts, one goes to Alpha Centari; @1/2 c; returns
to earth two years younger.
• The Geometry of Eternity: Is God subject to grav-
ity, mass, etc.? He is the one who “inhabits eter-
nity.” He “knows the end from beginning”: He uses
prophecy as an authentication.
The Physics of Software
A blank computer diskette weighs .7 ounce. Load it
with hundreds of dollars of software and it still
weighs .7 ounce. Software has no mass. It can even
be transmitted invisibly through the air waves.1
The real you (soul, spirit, whatever) is software, not
hardware. It is temporarily resident in your present
hardware: your present body. Since the real you is
“software” not hardware, it has no time dimension.
It (you) are eternal. That’s the problem. Where
will you spend it?
The Physics of Immortality
Frank J. Tipler, Professor of Mathematical Phys-
ics at Tulane University, is a major theoretician
in the field of global general relativity, that rar-
efied branch of physics created by Stephen Hawk-
ing and Roger Penrose. In devising a mathemati-
cal model of the end of the universe, Tipler (a
professed atheist) came to two stunning conclu-
sions:
• Using the most advanced and sophisticated meth-
ods of modern physics, relying solely on the rigor-
ous procedures of logic that science demands, he
has created a proof of the existence of God. (No
kidding...)
The specific atoms that make up our bodies are, of
course, subject to decay after death. The proverbial
dilemma of Christians eaten by cannibals is also a
case in point.
Our physical bodies are made up of about 17 ele-
ments—the same 17 that are found in the ground.
[“..from the dust of the ground...” How did Moses
know that?]
Obviously, all hydrogen, carbon and oxygen atoms
are fungible: God doesn’t have to use any specific
ones, even if He had in mind a life cycle such as the
one that presently sustains us. All He would need
is a code which represents your (genetic) history:
your DNA, and perhaps a little bit more. Paul deals
with some of these issues in what many consider to
be the most important chapter in the Bible: 1
Corinthians 15.
Believing in the resurrection is no more difficult than
believing in a harvest. A seed is buried and subse-
quently brings forth new life—in fact, new life far
more glorious than the homely seed that was bur-
ied! Another familiar example is the lowly caterpil-
lar, struggling in what is to him is a two-dimensional
universe until he is finally reconciled to a humble
cocoon, only to reemerge as a glorious butterfly, able
to enjoy a truly three-dimensional existence!
Misconceptions From Poor Physics
• How many of us learned in school that there are
always 180 degrees in a triangle? What if I told you
that some triangles have 270 degrees? (Plane vs. solid
geometry; curvature alters the angles so it’s possible
to have a triangle > 180 degrees.)
• Time lines. Linear and absolute? Einstein proved
that time is a physical dimension. It varies with mass,
acceleration,andgravity. (Atomicclocks,1:1016
/meter.

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• He also now believes that every human being who
ever lived will be resurrected from the dead.
He claims he arrived at these conclusions about God
and immortality “in exactly the same way physicists
calculate the properties of an electron.” His book
explains why he now believes that the central claims
of Judeo-Christian theology are in fact true, and
that these claims are straightforward deductions of
the laws of physics as we now understand them.2
(While I personally disagree with much of his re-
cent book, this turnabout for a professed atheist is
interesting.) But you can learn more about the res-
urrection from the most important chapter in the
Bible...
1 Corinthians 15
This chapter is the centerpiece of Christianity. It
faces the ultimate enemy of mankind: death. [For a
more complete exposition, see our commentary on 1
Corinthians Vol. 2.]
What Is “The Gospel”?
The “Good News” can be summed up in five words:
Jesus died and rose again!
Jesus died: He did not just “disappear.” The au-
thorities (both Jewish and Roman) made sure that
his death was undeniable! They outwitted them-
selves when they took so many precautions to make
sure Jesus was dead and remained in the grave!
(Their story that the body was stolen was an admis-
sion that the sepulcher was indeed vacant.)
Jesus’ death was not an afterthought. Paul says
twice in three verses “according to the Scriptures
(OT).” [The gospel is hidden in the genealogy of
Noah, found in Gen 5!]
Jesus died for our sins (not just died...); He was
buried; He was raised on the 3rd day; He ap-
peared... If you take any piece away, you have no
gospel. (It is interesting that Paul does not mention
a word about the life of Jesus: His teachings; His
miracles; His example.)
Jesus’ Burial: Only Paul mentions this. It points
backward to the reality of death and forward to the
character of the resurrection. The empty tomb em-
phasizes that Jesus’ resurrection was physical (em-
phasized in all four gospels: Mt 28:5-6; Mk 16:5-6;
Lk 24:3-4; Jn 20:6-8).
If the Roman or Jewish authorities could have pro-
duced the body of Jesus, all rumors would have
quickly stopped, and it all would have ended. But
they could not.
Jesus’ Resurrection Body
• Could appear and disappear at will: Lk 24:31; Jn
20:19.
• Could move through solid walls: Jn 20:19, 26 [11
dimensions?].
• Could be seen and felt; palpable: Mt 28:9; Lk 24:36-42.
• He could eat food, although it wasn’t apparently
necessary: Lk 24:41-43.
• Though glorified, He could be recognized: Lk 24:30-
31.
• No more experience of death, aging, crying, mourn-
ing, sorrow, or pain: Rev 21:4.
Jesus’ resurrection body was transformed to tran-
scend time and space. All believers will be given
new bodies like the glorious body of the Lord: Phil

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3:21; 1 Jn 3:2. [See also Beyond Perception briefing
package.] Paul also presents the arguments that
belief in the resurrection is an essential to the
faith...but there is another aspect of our Lord’s res-
urrection we also need to explore. He did not come
for a manger but the cross.
Why Wasn’t He Recognized After His
Resurrection?
Mary in the Garden Jn 20:11-18
Emmaus Road? Lk 24:13-32
Upper Room? Lk 24:36, 37
Shore of Galilee? Jn 21:12
OT Descriptions: Ps 22; Isa 53 (52:14); Isa 50:6; Rev
5:1-5.
It will take an eternity for us to understand what it
cost Him that we might live.
He was born of a woman
so that we could be born of God;
He humbled Himself
so that we could be lifted up;
He became a servant
so that we could be made coheirs;
He suffered rejection
so that we could become His friends;
He denied Himself
so that we could freely receive all things;
He gave Himself
so that He could bless us in every way.
Do you belong to Him? Are you sure? Have you
received His salvation? If you have, what have you
done with it?
Paul identifies the believer’s baptism with Christ’s
death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:4; Col 2:12).
Baptism also follows the pattern: Something in us must
die when we become Christians. And it must be bur-
ied. Nothing that hasn’t died can be resurrected.
What Is the “Body of Christ”?
We are baptized into one Body. The church is a
living organism called “The Body of Christ” (Eph
1:22-23). It’s not just a “figure of speech,” but an
actual organic reality. Every believer is mystically
joined into a living union with Jesus Christ (and
each other! 1 Cor 12:12-28; Gal 3:27-28).
The Rapture of the Body of Christ
Paul’s 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians concludes with
an allusion to “the rapture.” Compare this with 1
Thess 4:15-17. (This topic is actually one of
ecclesiology, not eschatology.)
Tape 2: The Great Snatch?
Most people assume that the future is but a linear
extrapolation of the present; life will just go on. Our
society adheres to views of uniformity and the eternity
of nature. But the Bible says otherwise. A stunning
event is coming—an event which cannot be denied by
clever detractors or contradicted by coy pretenders to
faith.
There are 1,845 references to Christ’s rule on the earth
in the Old Testament. A total of 17 OT books give
prominence to the event.
Of 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are 318
references to the Second Coming. It is mentioned in
23 of the 27 books (excepting 3 that are single-chapter
letters to private individuals and Galatians).
For every prophecy relating to His first coming, there
are 8 treating His Second Coming.

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Paul concludes his famous “Resurrection Chapter”
(1 Cor 15) with the “rapture” of the believers who
are alive upon His return.
Terminology
The mysterious event known as the Rapture is most
clearly represented in 1 Thess 4:13-18, which en-
courages the grieving Christians that, at the “great
snatch,” they will be reunited with those who have
died in Christ before them.
In verse 17 the English phrase “caught up” trans-
lates the Greek word harpázô, which means “to seize
upon with force” or “to snatch up.” The Latin trans-
lators of the Bible used the word “rapturo,” the root
of the English term “Rapture.” At the Rapture, liv-
ing believers will be “caught up” in the air, trans-
lated into the clouds, in a moment of time, to join
the Lord in the air.
Two Events?
There are many that still hold to the view which
emerged in the Medieval church (Catholic and Prot-
estant) that the “Second Coming” of Christ and the
“Rapture” are somehow the same. There are a
number of indications that these are distinct and
separate events. The passages referring to the Rap-
ture and the Second Coming are summarized in
Table I on the following page. The principal con-
trasts between the two distinct events are summa-
rized in Table II.
There is also predicted an unparalleled “time of
trouble” that Jesus called the “Great Tribulation.”3
Many hold to the view that the Rapture of the church
will occur after that specific period of time, thus,
closely associating it with the Second Coming, and
this is known as the “post-tribulation” view.
A New Testament Mystery
Paul speaks of the Rapture as a “mystery” (1 Cor
15:51-54); a truth not revealed until its disclosure
by the apostles (Col 1:26). The Second Coming, on
the other hand, was predicted in the Old Testament
(Dan 12:1-3; Zech 12:10; 14:4).
Table I
Rapture & Second Coming Passages
Rapture
Jn 14:1-3
Rom 8:19
1 Cor 1:7-8
1 Cor 15:1-53
1 Cor 16:22
Phil 3:20-21
Col 3:4
1 Thess 1:10
1 Thess 2:19
1 Thess 4:13-18
1 Thess 5:9
1 Thess 5:23
2 Thess 2:1 (3?)
1 Tim 6:14
2 Tim 4:1
Titus 2:13
Heb 9:28
Jas 5:7-9
1 Pet 1:7, 13
1 Jn 2:28-3:2
Jude 21
Rev 2:25
Rev 3:10
Second Coming
Dan 2:44-45
Dan 7:9-14
Dan 12:1-3
Zech 14:1-15
Mt 13:41
Mt 24:15-31
Mt 26:64
Mk 13:14-27
Mk 14:62
Lk 21:25-28
Acts 1:9-11
Acts 3:19-21
1 Thess 3:13
2 Thess 1:6-10
2 Thess 2:8
2 Pet 3:1-14
Jude 14-15
Rev 1:7
Rev 19:11-20:6
Rev 22:7, 12, 20

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Table II4 In fact, the oldest prophecy uttered by a prophet
was given before the flood of Noah and was of the
Second Coming! It was given by Enoch, quoted in
Jude 14-15.
The movement of the believer at the Rapture is from
earth to heaven; at the Second Coming it is from
heaven to earth. At the Rapture, the Lord comes
for His saints (1 Thess 4:16), while at the Second
Coming the Lord comes with His saints (1 Thess
3:13).
Post-Tribulation Views
There are at least four distinct types of post-
tribulational views:5
1) Classic post-tribulationism (J. Barton Payne, et al);
2) Semi-classic post-tribulationism (Alexander Reese);
3) Futuristic post-tribulationism (George E. Ladd);
4) Dispensational post-tribulationism (Robert H.
Gundry).
These differing views are based upon differing ap-
proaches, presuppositions, and argumentation. In
fact, they substantially contradict each other. As
one insists on literalness, each of these views must
embrace increasing difficulties.
Those of us who cling to a very literal view of the
Scriptures believe that the church will be removed
prior to the tribulation period (the “pre-tribulation”
view). Why? What is the basis for this view?
The Pre-Tribulation View6
The Rapture is characterized in the New Testament
as a “translation coming” (1 Cor 15:51-52; 1 Thess
4:15-17) in which the Lord comes for His church,
taking her to His Father’s House (Jn 14:3). How-
ever, at Christ’s Second Coming with His saints, He
Rapture
Translationofallbelievers.
Translated saints go to
heaven.
Earth not judged.
Imminent, any moment,
signless.
NotintheOldTestament.
Believers only.
Before the day of wrath.
No reference to Satan.
Christ comes forHis own.
He comes in the air.
He claims His bride.
Only His own see.
Tribulation begins
Church believers only?
Second Coming
No translation at all.
Translated saints return
to earth.
Earth judged; righteous-
ness established.
Follows definite predicted
signs, including tribu-
lation.
Predicted often in Old Tes-
tament.
Affects all men on the
earth.
Concluding the day of
wrath.
Satan is bound.
ChristcomeswithHisown.
He comes to the earth.
He comes with His bride.
Every eye shall see Him.
MillennialKingdombegins.

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mortal bodies come from if they are raptured at the
Second Coming? Who would be able to enter into
Christ’s Kingdom?
5) The Bride of Christ, the Church, is made ready to
accompany Christ to earth (Rev 19:7-8, 14) before the
Second Coming. How could this reasonably happen if
part of the church is still on the earth awaiting the
Second Coming? If the Rapture of the church takes
place at the Second Coming, then how does the Bride
(the church) also come with Christ at His Return?
Based Upon Presuppositions
While many diligent scholars disagree, most of these
views derive from their presuppositions about the
Scripture. The more literal a view, the more a pre-
millennial pre-tribulation position becomes appar-
ent. We encourage you to review the various pas-
sages yourself and develop your own conclusions.
This is “Our Blessed Hope,” and you will not find a
more exciting and rewarding discovery. This is just
a brief beginning of a complex subject, so apply 2
Tim 2:15.
This topic is perhaps most demanding from the point
of view of requiring the greatest amount of integra-
tion of many portions of Scripture. Remember Acts
17:11.
For Further Study
A more comprehensive treatment of some of these
topics is included in our Expositional Commentaries
on Daniel, Corinthians and Thessalonians.
If you don’t happen to hold our views, don’t worry
about it. We’ll explain it to you on the way up!
descends from heaven to set up His Messianic King-
dom on earth (Zech 14:4-5; Mt 24:27-31). The differ-
ences between the two events are harmonized natu-
rally by the pre-trib position, while other views are
not able to account comfortably for such differences.
Post-Tribulation Problems
One of the strengths of the pre-trib view is that it is
better able to harmonize the many events of end-
time prophecy because of the above distinctions.
There are some awkward difficulties with the post-
tribulational view:
1) The post-tribulation view requires that the church be
present during the 70th week of Daniel (Dan 9:24-27),
even though it was absent from the first 69. This is in
spite of the fact that Dan 9:23 indicates that all 70
weeks are for Israel. We believe the church must
depart prior to the 70th week, before the final seven-
year period. (See our briefing package, The Seventy
Weeks of Daniel.)
2) The post-tribulation view denies the New Testament
teaching of imminency—that Christ could come at any
moment—since there are intervening events required
in that view. We believe there are no signs that must
precede the Rapture.
3) The post-tribulation view has difficulties with who
will populate the Millennium7
if the Rapture and the
Second Coming occur at essentially the same time.
Since all believers will be translated at the Rapture
and all unbelievers are judged, since no unrighteous
shall be allowed to enter Christ’s Kingdom, then no
one would be left in mortal bodies to start the popula-
tion base for the Millennium.
4) Similarly, post-tribulationism is not able to explain
the sheep and goats judgment after the Second Com-
ing in Matthew 25:3-46. Where would the believers in

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Origin With John Darby?
There are some who have been taught that these
views originated through John Nelson Darby, who
popularized them in the 1820’s. However, the views
associated with “Pre-Tribulationism” are documented
in the earliest church histories. There are over 80
references in the Ante-Nicene writings prior to 325
A.D.8
Amillennialism
Upon the “conversion” of Constantine, his Edict of
Toleration declared Christianity the official state re-
ligion of the Roman Empire in 325 A.D. As one can
easily imagine, the view that Jesus Christ was des-
tined to literally return to the Earth to defeat evil
governments and rule a political kingdom was not
popular with the Roman leadership.
Despite the messianic destiny clearly portrayed in
the Old Testament, the promise of David’s Throne
confirmed to Mary, and the 1,000-year (“Millennial”)
reign prophesied in the Book of Revelation, Origen
and others began to allegorize these passages and
de-emphasize their literal significance. They pre-
ferred to view this “reign” in metaphorical terms
rather than a literal view.
Augustine adopted this allegorical, or symbolic
“amillennial” view, which then became the dominant
view of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Protestant Reformation, with its “back to the
Bible” emphasis, dealt aggressively with the issues
of salvation by faith and other crucial doctrines, but
the protestant reformers failed to adequately chal-
lenge the eschatological9
views of the medieval
church. Thus, the “amillennial” views—and their
associated “post-tribulation” views—continued as a
dominant perspective of many of the mainline Prot-
estant denominations.
The Historical Record
However, the original “pre-millennial, pre-
tribulational” views can be traced throughout church
history. The essentials of these views appear in the
Epistle of Barnabas, (A.D. 100)10
and other early writ-
ings: Irenaeus, in Against Heresies; Hippolytus, a
disciple of Irenaeus (2nd century)11
; and Justin Mar-
tyr, Dialogue with Trypho. These views also show
up in The Approaching Deliverance of the Church,
by Peter Jurieu, 168712
; Philip Doddridge’s Commen-
tary on the New Testament, 1738; Dr. John Gill’s
Commentary on the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians
4:15-17, 1748; James Macknight’s Commentary on
the Apostolical Epistles, 1763; and Thomas Scott’s
Commentary on the Holy Bible, 1792.
Many writers, including the great scientist and math-
ematician Sir Isaac Newton, continued to advocate
a literal view of prophecy. Throughout the Bible,
the readers invariably understand the prophecies
they are reading literally.13
Since the “pre-trib” view was widely popularized by
John N. Darby in 1820—along with Emmanuael
Lacunza (Ben Ezra) in 1812, Edward Irving in 1816,
and Margaret McDonald in 1830—many, unfamiliar
with the views held earlier, ascribe the origin of
these views to Darby. A recent discovery has also
been made by Grant Jeffrey, Tommy Ice, and Timo-
thy Demy that remarkably documents the pre-tribu-
lation view of the early church. This will be published
later this year.
Date Setting
In the early days of the church, there were many
who believed in the imminent return of the Lord.

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Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin, Augustine, and others all
evidenced various views of His imminent return dur-
ing their lifetimes. However, specific dates were pre-
dicted by Joachim of Flores in 1260; Militz of
Kromeriz in 1365; Joseph Mede, 1660; John Napier,
the famed mathematician, in 1688; Pierre Jurieu of
France, 1689; William Whitson, 1715, then 1734,
then 1866; J.A. Bengal, 1836; Joseph Worlf, 1847,
etc.
In recent years there were the famed episodes of
William Miller, who predicted the Lord’s return in
1843, then October 22, 1844. C.T. Russell declared
1874 as a definite date; and we all remember E.C.
Whisenant’s 88 reasons for 1988. One of the recent
examples of this involved Family Radio’s Harold
Camping, who indicated that Christ would return
sometime in September 1994. Some ministries have
even misquoted us in this regard.14
Biblical Prohibitions
Here are but a few Biblical admonitions in regards
to date setting: Mt 24:36,42,44; 25:13; Mk 13:32,33-
37; Lk 12:40; Acts 1:7; 1 Thess 5:1-2. The Bible
indicates that everything will be established by two
or three witnesses (Deut 19:15; Num 35:30; Mt 18:16;
Jn 8:17; 2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19). One would think
the above references would be enough. And yet the
fascination with date setting continues.
There are a number of provocative conjectures that
are interesting to explore casually, such as the Feasts
of Moses,15
but there seems to be a strange virus in
the air that frequently converts a colorful possibility
into a consuming obsession for setting specific dates.
Our Blessed Expectation
There are several passages that do suggest that the
faithful believer will not be caught by surprise (Lk
21:28; Heb 10:25; 1 Thess 5:4, etc.). Let us remem-
ber that the Lord has called us to be alert (Mt 24:42,
above) and Mk 13:35-37: Watch ye therefore: for ye
know not when the master of the house cometh, at
even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleep-
ing. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
The Bible teaches that Christ can come at any mo-
ment. (This is called the doctrine of imminence.)
Any valid date setting would tend to destroy the
doctrine of imminence, and would also have a del-
eterious effect on our Christian walk. We are to live
in the expectation of His any-moment appearance
for us. The Bible does, however, describe in surpris-
ing detail the scenario of events that will be cli-
maxed by the Second Coming of Christ.
The Times of the Signs
We seem to be plunging into a period of time about
which the Bible says more than any other period of
time in history—including the time when Jesus
walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee and climbed
the mountains of Judea. Some of the major themes
emerging before us include:
The Rebuilding of Babylon. The literal destruc-
tion of the Babylon as a major world center is de-
scribed in Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51. Since
this has not happened yet (as detailed in these pas-
sages), it is interesting that Saddam Hussein has
begun what would appear to be a key element in the
final climax. The Bible makes reference to three
aspects of Babylon’s destruction:
• An international military alliance, Isa 13:5,6; Jer
50:9. (32 nations gathered against Iraq in “Operation
Desert Storm.”)
• A single nation from the north, Jer 50:3.

11. Page 21Page 20
• The nation Israel, Jer 51:19-20. Is it possible that
Israel may take independent (preemptive) action,
precipitating all nations to come against her? (Jer
50:46; Zech 12-14). For more on this critical prophetic
background, see our briefing package The Mystery of
Babylon.
Israel. You can always tell what time it is on God’s
clock by examining Israel. Israel is being regath-
ered “the second time” (Isa 11:11). The Six Day
War returned Biblical Jerusalem (the Old City) into
their hands. Even as recently as the Persian Gulf
War we saw God’s hand of protection upon her. Now
she is being forced—particularly by the U.S.—into a
program of “peace” that should be considered blas-
phemous by all thinking and informed people. This
absurdity will become a treaty with the “prince that
shall come,” ushering in the “Seventieth Week” of
Daniel (Dan 9:27) and a period the Bible calls the
“Great Tribulation.” [See Daniel’s 70 Weeks.]
The Preparations to Rebuild the Temple in
Jerusalem. Three times in the New Testatment
(Mt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4; and Rev 11:1,2) there are
allusions to the presence of the Temple at the Sec-
ond Coming. Current preparations to rebuild are
all clear, specific indications that the final climax is
on the horizon. [See our several publications on the
Coming Temple, the Jerusalem Temple Conferences,
etc.]
The Rise of the European Superstate. Daniel 2
and 7 describe the final reemergence of the fourth
world empire during the end-times, so for centuries
scholars have looked for a “Revived Roman Empire.”
This quaint nomenclature nevertheless describes the
setting for the establishment of a final world dicta-
tor that appears on our horizon with the emergence
of the European superstate and the widespread move-
ment toward a one world government. [See our brief-
ing package An Empire Reborn? for some background
and an update.]
The Magog Invasion. Perhaps the most provoca-
tive—and most imminent—event is the impending
military incursion into Israel by Russia and an alli-
ance of Islamic nations, described in Ezekiel 38 and
39. Despite the continuing gyrations of the old So-
viet Union, there remain 12,000 missiles pointed at
the U.S., and General Colin Powell reminds us that
they still “could destroy the United States in 30 min-
utes.”
The more one examines this passage and compares
it with current intelligence estimates, the more it
would appear that it could happen at any moment.
[See our briefing package The Magog Invasion for a
detailed review and update.]
It is exciting, indeed, to see these things begin to
take shape on our immediate horizon and to come to
grips with the impending reality of Christ’s return.
But there is a difference between “being ready” and
setting dates. One we are strongly and repeatedly
admonished to do; the other is expressly prohibited.
Rature-itis
Furthermore, there is another danger. I call it “rap-
ture-itis.” There is a tragic fatalism that can immo-
bilize the Christian body from truly “occupying” until
He comes (Lk 19:13). We need to continue to be
responsible stewards of His blessings—including our
unique blessings of this country and its heritage—
and also prepare for an uncertain future until He
does return for us. There is a tragic and unhealthy
tendency for many of us to sit back and assume that
the church will be snatched out before the real tur-
moil begins. The apparent exclusion of the church
from that specific period specified as “the” tribula-
tion does not exempt any of us from experiencing
the kind of persecution that has burdened most of
the body of Christ in most of the world for most of
the past two thousand years!

12. Page 23Page 22
Rather, we should be doing our homework, learning
all we can, dispensing with the erroneous and myo-
pic presuppositions of the past and, motivated by
the imminent horizon, be focusing on His priorities
for the kingdom in the time that remains. That’s if
we are really serious. Are you sure of your position
in Jesus Christ? Deal with that issue immediately.
You say you have received His salvation? What are
you doing with it?
Notes:
1. See The Architecture of Man briefing package.
2. FrankJ.Tipler,ThePhysicsofImmortality,Doubleday,
NY, 1994.
3. Mt 24:21; Dan 12:1.
4. Items 1-8, John F. Walvoord, The Return of the Lord,
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1955, pp. 87-88; 9-13,
Edward E. Hindson, unpublished paper presented
privately, Dec. 1992, to the Pre-Trib Study Group.
5. John F. Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribula-
tion: A Biblical and Historical Study of
Posttribulationists, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI,
1976, pp. 21-69.
6. Excerpted from notes provided by Tommy Ice, Exec.
Director of the Pre-Trib Research Center.
7. The Millennium is the term used to refer to the reign
of Jesus Christ upon the earth after His Second
Coming (Rev 20; Isa 65).
8. Writings of the church prior to 325 A.D. and the Council
of Nicea were translated into English and assembled
into a 10-volume set in the 1890’s known as the Ante-
Nicene Library.
9. Eschatology is the field of theology which focuses on
the “last things.”
10.Even the perception of the “gap” in Dan 9:26. The key
to understanding the Seventy Weeks of Daniel. See
Daniel’s 70 Weeks briefing packages.
11.Anti Nicene Fathers, Vol. V. p. 192.
12.Courtesy of Grant Jeffrey.
13.Dan 9:2 and Mt 2:6 (Micah 5:2) are just two examples.
14.Misrepresented in 99 Reasons Why No One Knows
When Christ Will Return, p. 34, Christian Research
Institute, San Juan Capistrano, CA.
15.See our briefing package The Feasts of Israel.
Bibliography
Ice, Thomas D., and Demy, Timothy J., “The Rapture and
Pseudo-Ephraem: AnEarlyMedievalCitation,”Biblio-
theca Sacra 152 (to be published summer of 1995).
Jeffrey, Grant, Apocalypse, Frontier Research Books,
Toronto, Canada, 1992.
Lindsey, Hal, The Rapture, Bantam Books, NY, 1983.
McBirnie, William Stewart, The Search for the Tomb of
Jesus, Acclaimed Books, PO Box 585, Montrose, CA,
1975.
McDowell, Josh, TheResurrectionFactor, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1981.
Missler, Chuck, Expositional Commentaries on
Corinthians, Daniel, and Thessalonians, Koinonia
House, Coeur d’Alene, ID, 1994-5.
Ryrie, Charles C., What You Should Know About the
Rapture, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1981.
Showers, Renald, Maranatha, Our Lord, Come! A Defini-
tive Study of the Rapture of the Church, The Friends
of Israel Gospel Ministry, Bellmawr, NJ, 1995.
Stanton, Gerald B., Kept from the Hour: Biblical Evi-
dence for the Pretribulational Return of Christ,
Schoettle Publishing Co., Miami Springs, FL, 1991.
Tipler, Frank J., The Physics of Immortality, Doubleday,
New York, NY, 1994.
Walvoord, John F., The Rapture Question, Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, MI, 1979.
Weremchuk, Max S., John Nelson Darby, (tr. from Ger-
man), Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ, 1992.

13. Page 24
Commentaries on Tape
Chuck Missler’s Expositional Commentar-
ies are now available from Koinonia House.
Each volume consists of eight cassette tapes
and includes notes, diagrams, and a compre-
hensive bibliography. Write for a complete
list.
Monthly News Journal
Personal UPDATE, a monthly news journal high-
lighting the Biblical relevance of current
events, is also available by writing:
Koinonia House
P.O. Box D
Coeur d’Alene, ID
83816-0347
1-800-KHOUSE-1
www.khouse.org