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D W
Supporter
Yes. He will only be "taken out of the way" to facilitate the entrance of the antiChrist. That sounds horrible, but remember, those enduring the Tribulation will be those who failed to acknowledge Jesus as Savior! The Holy Spirit is, up to that point, the "Restrainer." Absent His restraint, the "Man of Sin" will be revealed. All is not lost, however. The Holy Spirit will be present with the 144,000 witnesses who will be heralding the Truth of salvation by grace through faith. Thousands will respond, albeit martyred for their announcement of faith in Jesus. They will instantly enter His presence. If the Holy Spirit and the 144,000 were not witnessing, it would be impossible for anyone to be born again. See Romans 8:11; Revelation 7:4; Revelation 11:11. Those events don't happen without the Holy Spirit.
Jennifer Rothnie
Supporter
Yes, though not in the same way we need the Holy Spirit now. Currently, the Holy Spirit is both our Helper, and our down payment (or engagement ring/guarantee) from God that He will grant us eternal life with Him. When we are forever with the Lord, we will commune with God face to face.
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." I Thess 4:16-18
To examine this sequence of events, it can be helpful to draw a diagram. "Ge'" is earth, "Aer" is the lower air where living things breathe (trees, birds, people, etc) and 'ouranos' is heaven. {The 'first heaven' is the upper atmosphere, the 'second heaven' is space, the 'third heaven' is "Heaven" where God resides. Paul, for example, was caught up into the third heaven}.
Jesus, then, descends (downward) from the third heaven to the air (aer, the lower atmosphere where living things breathe) with 'a shout of command', the 'voice of the archangel' and 'the trumpet call' (cf. 1 Cor 15:52-52, Josh 6:16, Psalm 66:1-3, Matt 24:30-31, Acts 11:1, II Thes 1:7) and then the dead in Christ rise first (1 Cor 15: 23, 52).
This is in essence the imagery of a processional coming to meet the arriving king. The implication in the greek is that we meet Christ on His way, then we all come down to Earth (vs. Going up to heaven).
We then appear with Christ in glory (Col 3:1-3), God will create a new heavens (ouranos 1+2) and a new earth (II Peter 3: 10-13, Isaiah 66:22-24), the dead are judged (II Timothy 4:1), and we will forever dwell in eternal glory (Isaiah 60:19).
While we will not need the holy spirit for intercession with God, or for building up the church anymore - we will still walk by the Spirit. Also, if our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit now, then how much more so in heaven (conformed to the likeness of Christ!) will we be able to enter the presence of God?
While our relationship with the Holy Spirit may change a bit, the Holy Spirit is in heaven and on earth:
"Psalm 139:7,8, "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flees from Thy presence? If I ascend up into Heaven, Thou are there, if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."
Gregory Tomlinson
Supporter
John.16 1.[7] Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Matthew 24:29] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [32] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. I had a dream after fasting and seeking God of a padlock being closed in the heavens, and fleeing with believers from people wanting to kill us, I sought the meaning and I understood it to mean the time of the gentiles had drawn to a close and the spirit was with drawn from the earth but not from believers in preparation of the return of Jesus and his millennial reign. The war against the saints had begun or was ongoing. Daniel says: Dan.7 2.[21] I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 3.[22] Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 4.[25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
RICK PORTER
Supporter
If the antichrist is being restrained by God from being revealed, there seems to be a point at which time, the end of this particular period or dispensation will be closed and a new dispensation starts. What then transpires? Jesus came, lived, died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, with instructions to go into the world and evangelize. Church age then began where believers became the temple of God, indwelled by the Holy Spirit. From that time till now the Holy Spirit through believers and congregations have been the restraining power. When Gods appointed time comes the church will be raptured or caught up to meet Jesus in the air, then the antichrist will be revealed and a strong delusion will be on people to follow this direction because of chaos on earth, this dispensation is referred to as the tribulation. This will begin when Isreal signs a worldwide peace treaty endorsed by the world powers as Daniel 9:27 talks about. The exact timing of the rapture is in Gods' hand. When the church age believers have gone the Holy Spirit then will come on people with the power to do Gods work like Old Testament believers. Revelation 7 talks of this, as the 144,000 chosen Jewish evangelists are commissioned and multitudes are martyred for being believers. This dispensation of the tribulation will last seven years when Jesus comes back, this time to earth with all believers who with Him for the seven years. Then the next dispensation of the millennial reign of Christ will begin Revelation 20:1-10.
James Kraft
Supporter
I cannot be adamant, but I beilieve the rapture of the church will be during the first three and a half years of the tribulation period. The bible says that the antichrist will be so deceiving that even the elect would be persuaded if it was not for the spirit in us. So I believe that the believers that have not died yet will know who the antichrist is before the rapture. I do believe there will be many saved after the rapture of the church and so there must be some working of the Holy Spirit to save the elect during that time. If any take the mark of the beast inorder to buy or sell they will be condemned forever. Most or many who are saved will lose their life during that time. Just as a side note I believe the Temple has to be rebuilt inorder for the antichrist to set up his rule. Prophesy may be coming to past sooner than we think. Just my opinion but I think the church age is about over. Only God knows for sure but there are many signs. This is my understanding only. Many believe differently.
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