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Why the title, "The Saints Home Page," for a bible prophecy page? The literal, biblical meaning of saints is "holy ones." This term is generically used in the bible to identify both His holy angels and the true believers. So, neither the Catholic church nor the New Orleans football team have a corner market on this term! Paul uses the noun form ("saints") to refer to all people who have been justified (in Christ; i.e, true believers)--not to an elite class of super-human Christians (see: 1 Cor. 1:2). Nevertheless, we may indeed have the honor of wearing the martyrs crown (Rev. 2:10). Paul says, "we who are alive and remain (Gk: perileipomai = survive) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17). This may imply that those saints (i.e., true believers) remaining after "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21, 22) may be the lesser number of the whole of the saints (Rev. 20:4). "And they overcame him (the accuser, Satan) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death" (Rev. 12:11 NASB).

I believe that you will find this pre-wrath rapture information and charts interesting, if not challenging. I also believe it is self explanatory, however, my comparison chart (below) is included to make one's study simpler. If you study the event(s) leading up to Daniel's 70th week (Dan. 9:27) and particularly the covenant that guarantees the seven year Middle East peace treaty, then I believe you will have to agree that with the current events as they are we are very close indeed! Peace negotiations will continue to painstakingly succeed until they begin with Jerusalem within Daniel's seven year period (Zech. 12:2, 3).

Israel celebrated her 50th Jubilee year in 1998 and has been a nation for forty-nine years as of 1997 since her inception on May 14, 1948 as an independent state. That's a period of seven sabbatical years (7 x 7 = 49). I believe Daniel's 70th week (seven years of tribulation) could soon follow. I don't believe God was willing to again "move" with Israel until after this time of her jubilee. In a past "Conversation" with Netanyahu, a former prime minister of Israel, he's quoted in U.S. News & World Report (May 4, 1998; p. 44) as saying, "...We're in the process of completing a circle of peace around us....The first task before us and before me is to complete the peace agreements with our neighbors--a final peace settlement with the Palestinians and security and peace arrangements with Syria and Lebanon. I believe that this is achievable, but it requires firm adherence to the principles that will make peace enduring and secure."

Update: Ehud Barak, Israel's latest former prime minister, has been replaced by Ariel Sharon in the latest elections. Barak had put together a seven-party coalition in hopes to having negotiated peace with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon, but failed. (Barak Defeated Netanyahu in the Israel elections in May of 1999.) Also, the final status talks, concerning Jerusalem, were scheduled to have begun in May of 2000 (Zech. 12:2, 3). The Bush administration has formally abandoned the Middle East peace proposals of former President Clinton and seems more sympathic to Israel's status than the former administration had. I.e., George W. Bush has instructed aids to begin exploring the process of moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. What shape the Middle East "peace process" will now take remains to be seen.

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Be sure to check out the "Resource Center" for rare, unusual and interesting books and study materials. Also, the "LINKS..." page has my favorite and pertinent web sites. You may wish to bookmark the "Main Menu" page for a continued study of the information on "The Saints Home Page!"

All comments, questions and yes, even criticism, will be received and appreciated. Thanks. Learn and Enjoy. Also, feel free to use any text or graphics. To "download" a graphic chart, simply place the mouse pointer on the desired graphic and click the right mouse button once to save.

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4saints@netzero.net Ralph Davenport: "The Non-Traditionalist"