Tribulation

[buzzoff1031]

Paul didn't teach of a pretrib rapture. In what age was the doctrine of a pretrib rapture introduced and by who? Perhaps you should look at that foundation. My foundation will remain with the testimony of Jesus. China can't raise a army of 200 million at this time nor does scripture point to just one nation rasing that number anyway let alone china. The temple hasn't been rebuilt. The land of shinar isn't ruling over that nations yet.
Randy

Babylon in Revalation is symbolic. Many think it refers to Rome coming back to power. With the rise of the RCC as of late...this is not unthinkable. A 200 million man army is not only feasable, but would be very easy. China has a population of nearly 1.5 billion people. 200 milliion would be just around 1/7 of there population. As far as the temple goes...many buildings, even the most complex are built in a year or less. 3 1/2 years s more than enough time.

[Jerry]

Nobody goes back to heaven.

Really? That's not what my Bible says! Pretty hard to have the marriage supper of the Lamb in Heaven when church age believers are not all there yet:

Revelation 19:1-9 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

[RandyW]

Babylon in Revalation is symbolic. Many think it refers to Rome coming back to power. With the rise of the RCC as of late...this is not unthinkable. A 200 million man army is not only feasable, but would be very easy. China has a population of nearly 1.5 billion people. 200 milliion would be just around 1/7 of there population. As far as the temple goes...many buildings, even the most complex are built in a year or less. 3 1/2 years s more than enough time.

Babylon will be where it always has been: Do you see a commodity that would draw the nations into trade and bring great wealth to that region? For perspective the US has 300 million people. How large a army can we support at this time?
Randy

Zech 5
8And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.

9Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.

10Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?

11And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.

[RandyW]

Really? That's not what my Bible says! Pretty hard to have the marriage supper of the Lamb in Heaven when church age believers are not all there yet:

Revelation 19:1-9 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

There already is a great multitude in heaven. Yet we are still here.
Randy

[Jerry]

Well, you can stay behind if you'd like - but me and the rest of the church will be in Heaven at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, seeing as we are part of the bride after all! Wouldn't be wise to miss our own wedding!

[sarcrew]

The following is from a world net daily article dated March 2001 - thought it might clear at least one point of contention up.

Defence analysts said that this year's double-digit increase of defence expenditures, along with an ongoing disarmament endeavour aimed at trimming the 2.5-million-man People's Liberation Army by 200,000 by the year 2005, is in line with the country's principle of keeping "fewer but better" troops.

Source: China Daily

They have a comparable number in the reserves as well - still a long way from 200 million. They are actually trying to downsize and go for better trained soldiers. Another article in the AZ republic dated in 2005 gave the number of 1.7 million but it didn't give a source.

[Jerry]

Just presented for consideration: could this "army" consist of regular people who finally decide to march to Jerusalem to fight against the Antichrist? Not so much a trained army, as a group of citizens rebelling against the one-world leader. (I am not saying this is what will happen, it was just a thought as I read the previous post.)

[sarcrew]

I would agree that the "army" need not be a uniformed, professional body. That said I can not concieve of man ever being able to do so logistically without supernatural intervention. On the human scale of things just look at our build up for Desert Storm. We have the world's greatest transportation infrastructure and it took us months for just a few hundred thousand people. Imagine trying to move 2/3's of America overseas. Still, we know that with God all things are possible and we know that during that time frame God will allow the evil to perform miracles. The Bible says it - it is true - just beyond our "normal" grasp of things.

Does this makes sense?

Wayne

[Me4Him]

Just presented for consideration: could this "army" consist of regular people who finally decide to march to Jerusalem to fight against the Antichrist? Not so much a trained army' date=' as a group of citizens rebelling against the one-world leader. (I am not saying this is what will happen, it was just a thought as I read the previous post.)[/quote']

In God's kingdom, everyone is of "ONE MIND, ONE ACCORD",

In Satan's kingdom, everyone "GOES THEIR OWN WAY",

There's no unity, the "IRON" rule of Satan won't mix well with the "Bodies of "CLAY".

Da 2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

The "one world Government" sit up by men is nothing more than a system of "SLAVERY", they dig the pit, then fall in when the AC takes control of it, and them.

These are "Evil Spirits" attempting to "FORCE" the world into compliance with the "RELIGION OF HELL", worship the image of the beast or "DIE".

But when every man goes his own way, there's disagreement, and attempts to "force" leads to "war".