2 MACCABEES 2:18=

WE HAVE HOPE IN GOD THAT HE WILL SOON HAVE MERCY ON US AND WILL GATHER US FROM EVERYWHERE UNDER HEAVEN INTO HIS HOLY PLACE, FOR HE HAS RESCUED US FOM GREAT EVILS AND HAS PURIFIED THIS PLACE.

(AGAIN, SOUNDS LIKE THE RAPTURE)



2 MACCABEES 6:12-17=

NOW I URGE THOSE WHO READ THIS BOOK NOT TO BE DEPRESSED BY SUCH CALAMITIES, BUT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THESE "PUNISHMENTS WERE DESIGNED "NOT TO DESTROY" BUT TO "DISCIPLINE OUR PEOPLE". IN FACT, IT IS A SIGN OF GREAT KINDNESS NOT TO LET THE IMPIOUS ALONE FOR LONG, BUT TO PUNISH THEM IMMEDIATELY. FOR IN THE CASE OF

THE "OTHER NATIONS" THE LORD WAITS

PATIENTLY TO "PUNISH" THEM UNTIL THEY HAVE REACHED THE "FULL MEASURE OF THEIR SINS"; BUT HE "DOES NOT DEAL IN THIS WAY WITH US", IN ORDER THAT HE "MAY NOT TAKE VENGEANCE" ON "US" AFTERWARD WHEN

OUR SINS HAVE REACHED THEIR HEIGHT.

THEREFORE, HE NEVER WITHDRAWS HIS MERCY FROM US. ALTHOUGH HE "DISCIPLINES US" WITH CALAMITIES, HE "DOES NOT FORSAKE HIS OWN PEOPLE".

LET WHAT WE HAVE SAID SERVE AS A REMINDER.



2 ESDRAS 2:27=

"DO NOT BE ANXIOUS, FOR WHEN THE "DAY

OF TRIBULATION AND ANGUISH" COMES, OTHERS SHALL WEEP AND BE SORROWFUL, BUT YOU (THAT IS, WE BELIEVERS) SHALL REOICE

AND HAVE ABUNDANCE."

(SOUNDS LIKE PRETRIB RAPTURE TO ME)



2 ESDRAS 2:34-48=

WAIT FOR YOUR SHEPHERD; HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERLASTING REST, BECAUSE HE WHO WILL COME "AT THE END OF THE AGE (OF GRACE) IS CLOSE AT HAND. BE READY FOR THE REWARD OF THE KINGDOM, BECAUSE PERPETUAL LIGHT WILL SHINE ON YOU FOREVERMORE.

FLEE FROM THE SHADOW OF THIS AGE, RECEIVE THE JOY OF YOUR GLORY; I PUBLICLY CALL ON MY SAVIOR TO WITNESS.

RECEIVE WHAT THE LORD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOU AND BE JOYFUL, GIVING THANKS TO HIM WHO HAS CALLED YOU TO THE CELESTIAL KINGDOMS.

RISE, STAND ERECT AND SEE THE NUMBER OF THOSE WHO AVE BEEN "SEALED"

(2 CORINT. 1:22 & EPHES. 1:13 ) AT THE FEAST OF THE LORD.

THOSE WHO HAVE DEPARTED FROM THE SHADOW OF THIS AGE HAVE RECEIVED GLOROUS GARMENTS FROM THE LORD. TAKE AGAIN YOUR FULL NUMBER, O ZION (THE CHURCH ), AND

CLOSE THE LIST OF YOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE "CLOTHED IN WHITE", WHO HAVE "FULFILLED THE LAW OF THE LORD".

THE NUMBER OF YOUR CHILREN WHOM YOU DESIRE, IS NOW COMPLETE; IMPLORE THE LORD'S AUTHORITY THAT YOUR PEOPLE, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED FROM THE BEGINNING, MAY BE HOLY."

(THE FEAST OF THE LORD IS THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB, WHICH TAKES PLACE WHILE WE ARE IN THE CLOUDS, AFTER BEING TAKEN UP PRIOR TO THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION)

I , EZRA, SAW ON MOUNT ZION, A GREAT MULTITUDE THAT I COULD NOT NUMBER, AND THEY ALL WERE PRAISING THE LORD WITH SONGS. IN THEIR MIDST WAS A YOUNG MAN OF GREAT STATURE, TALLER THAN ANY OF THE OTHERS, AND ON THE HEAD OF EACH OF THEM "HE" PLACED A CROWN (JAMES 1:12), BUT "HE" WAS "MORE EXALTED" THAN THEY.

AND I WAS SPELLBOUND. THEN I ASKED AN ANGEL, "WHO ARE THESE, MY LORD?"

HE ANSWERED AND SAID TO ME, "THESE ARE THEY WHO PUT OFF MORTAL CLOTHING AND HAVE PUT ON THE IMMORTAL, AND HAVE CONFESSED THE NAME OF GOD. NOW, THEY

ARE BEING CROWNED, AND RECEIVE PALMS."

THEN I SAID TO THE ANGEL, "WHO IS THAT YOUNG MAN WHO IS PLACING CROWNS ON THEM AND PUTTING PALMS IN THEIR HANDS?"

HE ANSWERED AND SAD TO ME, "HE IS THE SON OF GOD, WHOM THEY CONFESSED TO THE WHOLE WORLD."

SO I BEGAN TO PRAISE THOSE WHO STOOD VALIANTLY FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD. THEN THE ANGEL SAID TO ME, "GO, TELL MY PEOPLE HOW GREAT AND HOW MANY ARE THE WONDERS OF THE LORD GOD THAT YOU HAVE SEEN."



THE ANGEL OF THE LORD (THE LORD JESUS)

WAS GIVING EZRA A VISION OF THE LORD JESUS CROWNING THE SAINTS.

REMEMBER, EZRA IS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ERA, AND THE LORD OFTEN CAME IN HUMAN FORM AND WAS REFERRED TO AS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD.





2 ESDRAS 6:26=

AND THEY SHALL SEE THOSE WHO WERE "TAKEN UP" (INTO HEAVEN BY THE LORD ), WHO FROM BIRTH "HAVE NOT" "TASTED DEATH."

(AGAIN, SOUNDS LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND WILL SEE THE BELIEVERS BEING TAKEN UP INTO THE CLOUDS)



2 ESDRAS 8:19=

THE BEGINNING OF THE WORDS OF EZRA'S PRAYER, BEFORE HE WAS "TAKEN UP".

( EZRA WAS RAPTURED ).



2 ESDRAS 9:15=

THERE ARE MORE WHO PERSIH THAN THOSE WHO WILL BE "SAVED", AS A WAVE IS GREATER THAN A DROP OF WATER.

(THAT'S THE RATIO OF THE UNSAVED AND THE SAVED)



2 ESDRAS 16:24=

LISTEN, MY "ELECT ONES", SAYS THE LORD; THE "DAYS OF TRIBULATION" ARE AT HAND, BUT I "WILL DELIVER YOU" "FROM" THEM. DO NOT FEAR OR DOUBT, FOR GOD IS YOUR GUIDE."

(THIS IS WHAT MANY PEOPLE FORGET-- THAT GOD IS OUR GUIDE.)



2 PETER 2

THE LORD KNOWS HOW TO "RESCUE THE GODLY" FROM TRIAL, AND TO KEEP THE

UNRIGHTEOUS "UNDER PUNISHMENT" "UNITL"

"THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT".



SO, THESE ARE MY FINDINGS, DIVINELY DIRECTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. TRUST ME, I AM NOT THAT SMART.

WHETEHER YOU AGREE THAT THE APOCRYPHA/DEUTEROCANONICAL BOOKS OF THE HOLY BIBLE ARE GOD -BREATHED OR NOT,

THIS IS WHAT HE LED ME TO.

REMEMBER HOSEA 3:6- "MY PEOPLE ARE

DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE."

BEFORE YOU BELIEVE "MAN" THAT THESE BOOKS ARE NOT DIVINE, BECAUSE MARTIN LUTHER SAID SO, OR BECAUSE THE JEWS ORIGINALLY LEFT THEM OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON---THERE ARE MANY STORIES-- ONE BETTER CONSULT WITH THE ONE WHO WROTE THE BOOK, AFTER ALL, IT IS HIS.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS ALOT OF INFO SUPPORTING THE PRETRIB RAPTURE THAT ISN'T EVEN INCLUDED IN THE OTHER 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE. MAN DOES NOT WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE BOOKS FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND THE REASON BEING IS, I BELIEVE, THAT THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT MAN TO KNOW THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

GOD HAS SHOWN ME A LOT OF INFO AND WISDOM IN THESE BOOKS THAT, WITHOUT THEM, I MIGHT HAVE LOST A LOT OF MY BATTLES WITH THE DEVIL. IF THE DEVIL CAN GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT THESE BOOKS ARE NOT DIVINE, HE HAS WON A BIG PERCENTAGE OF THE BATTLE. THE MORE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S WORD YOU HAVE, THE MIGHTIER A WARROR YOU WILL BE. DON'T LET THE DEVIL CHEAT YOU OUT OF YOUR VICTORIES.



GOD BLESS YOU ALL.