From the beginning, God gave us the promise of salvation and deliverance through the law and prophets. The definition of our prophesied Savior, Jesus (Yeshuah), means salvation, deliverance, and victory. “Christ” in Hebrew (Messiah/Mashiach) means “Anointed One and Promised Deliverer.” Therefore, those who believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be redeemed by His blood, justified, saved, and delivered from their sins and their enemies in this evil age (according to the Scriptures).
In addition to being plainly stated, the foreshadowing of a pre-tribulation rapture (deliverance) of the body of Christ, His Bride, away from our enemies is woven throughout the Word of God in foreshadowing, patterns, repetition, signs, symbolism, and types. It’s important for those in His name to see and hear this, as there are many parables that only those with His Spirit will understand. If we’re looking specifically for His deliverance in the Word, we can see proof of it. Here are just a few; however, there are many:
Jeremiah 15:21 “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.”
Psalm 18:48 “He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.”
Psalm 18:17-19 “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.”
In our modern times, the Good News has been watered down to remove the “deliverance” portion of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is currently a giant blind spot over this very important doctrine of comfort, hope and peace, even among the brethren. The deliverance of God’s children is one of the very great and precious promises He gives us, and it’s absolutely part and parcel with His gospel message of salvation. Make no mistake – it is a covenant He has made with those who believe Him and all of His holy prophets:
Luke 1:70-72 “As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our father and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham: to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”
There has been so much confusion and discord sown into the body of Christ by the dark forces, especially in recent times, about His promises and Good News. The dark forces want to rob us of our hope and joyful expectation of being glorified with Him at the wedding, and of escaping the captivity, torment, and famine of those 7 years because when we receive Him (His Spirit), we are in His name (He simply would not leave Himself -His own body- to have His house broken into and be suddenly taken captive). Being able to escape this terrible time of pure evil is the “fullness of the blessing of the gospel” and the Blessed Hope, which goes along with eternal salvation.
Romans 15:29 “But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.”
My husband and I recently met a pastor in a coffee shop in Florida. We got to talking about what’s going on in the world, when he told us he was “looking forward to having his head chopped off for Jesus” (direct quote). This professing believer in Jesus – and pastor – had absolutely no hope of being raptured beforehand. It struck my heart, and I tried to reason with him to believe we’d be delivered from our great enemy and those who serve him. However, he just wouldn’t hear the solid reasons from me of why the tribulation should not have to happen to him. Talking to people who have no hope is truly sad, which is why God tells us we should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have.
The Truth is, our Savior already paid that painful price for us – He faced beatings, piercings, and Death so we wouldn’t have to. Because He suffered, shed His blood, and died to save us from our sins, those who are members of His body and abiding in Him have died (to ourselves) with Him already, and will be raised up.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
We’re specifically told in Galatians 1:3-10 that Jesus gives us grace and peace, and that He will deliver us from this present evil age:
Galatians 1:3 “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(This salutation is actually a sign, a repetitive reminder from Paul in every epistle he wrote which we really should hear, as he tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3:17, “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.”) The tribulation is not grace and peace, as the second seal has “all peace being removed from the earth.”
Galatians 1:4-5 “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Note that this says it’s the very will of our God and Father for Jesus to deliver us from this evil age. His will be done. Amen!)
Galatians 1:6-10 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
After saying that Jesus gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this evil age, Paul then goes on to say he’s marveling that we’ve turned away from this gospel of grace and peace to a different gospel – which actually isn’t even another gospel! He says it’s the same gospel – but it adds “trouble” to it, so as to pervert (G3344 “turn”) it. A lot of people think this means other religions, rules, etc., but it specifically says it’s not another gospel – the change is “troubling us.” The wording is interesting in this verse, and it’s my personal and sincere belief that it’s been revealed to us in these end times in order to prepare the bride for God’s upward call in Christ. Here is why:
The words for trouble in Greek (G2360 and G2347) mean alarmed, disturbed, to clamor, to be frightened, unsettled, confusion, tribulation, and affliction. Because Jesus overcomes, when we are in His name, we are also overcomers; we overcome by the blood of the Lamb. We haven’t overcome through Christ into salvation only to be turned back and delivered into trouble, fear, chaos, and confusion. Once we’re saved, we’re saved for eternity, and we’ll be delivered into His kingdom, certainly not the devil’s lair! We’re told not to fear hundreds of times all the way through the Word, and it’s also one of His commands:
Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This is no doubt an exhortation for us: Do not fear or be troubled; I am always with you! The ones who enter the holy of holies safe behind the veil, that is, His flesh (Hebrews 10:20), covered by His sacrificial blood over our Door (Jesus is the Door), will not be delivered into fear, trouble, or captivity.
It’s truly an amazing gift to us that, in our days, we’re able to see the entire translation of the Bible in our own languages, even in multiple versions of our own languages, and to hear all of the Word in the tongues into which we were born translated across all the people and places in the world. We can read each verse as it was written in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, which tend to have richer definitions and depth of insight into what the words mean.
In a way, we’ve been given a gift of “tongues,” so to speak, for these latter days. No generation has had this ability to hear every language at once since before the Tower of Babel. Today, all we have to do is speak into our phones, and it translates for us in seconds. God is really giving us every opportunity to read, see, hear, and understand what He has said in the scriptures.
Those who believe and receive Christ will not be troubled, as part of our salvation gospel. On the contrary, we’re repeatedly promised grace and peace, as a sign. Those who have rejected His offer of salvation will have trouble, sorrows, destruction, and Death in the world, where the ground is still cursed with thorns and thistles, from the original curse in Genesis 3:18 (they will have the opportunity to repent, but the only escape is death and darkness). Where we will be is on the level, solid, holy, and abundantly blessed ground of our Rock, who is Life and Light.
Proclaiming eternal life, grace and peace (with no trouble) is indeed considered “divisive” today, and it’s tragic because many Christians believe we can or will be troubled for some or all of the tribulation. But the temptation during this time will be unlike anything ever experienced before, with every evil spirit released at once, and nothing to restrain it. Jesus will not lead us into temptation; instead He will deliver us from evil. It’s essential that people believe in what He has promised as part of His gospel:
Galatians 1:11-12 “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
The command of Jesus is everlasting life, grace, and peace for those who are saved. This does not include being unequally yoked with evil. This is what He wants us to speak: Life.
John 12:50 “And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
For those who aren’t completely confident that He will raise us up before the tribulation, I’d like to encourage you to put your hope and trust in the only One who will save. Pray and ask Him to reveal His plans to you, and to deliver you behind the Door where you’ll be safe for eternity. All His promises are yes and amen! The God of our salvation loads us daily with His benefits! He’ll enable you to approach the throne of His grace with confidence.
Psalm 116:4 “Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!”
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
The post Knowing God: The Deliverer :: By Angela Scohy appeared first on Rapture Ready.
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