The popular belief in a pre-tribulation rapture of "the church" goes against the word of God as well as historical fact. This belief is often defended by the following verse: "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The events surrounding Jesus’ death are a picture of his return. Five events recorded in Matthew 27 also occur, in a different order and magnitude, when Jesus returns.

Because the Bible is so incredibly rich, the process of reading yields a deeper understanding over time. Here we consider how long the "silence in heaven" might actually be on earth.

I've just submitted the following to Facebook after yet another of my private Messenger posts was blocked due to the inclusion of a website link.