by Jimmy Robbins
(Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the July-August 1970 issue of the Midnight Cry Messenger.)
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand….” Joel 2:1.
Beloved I am convinced, as never before, that it is much later than any of us think or realize. In the past month the Lord has given two visions concerning His soon coming. In them He exhorts His people to get ready and to warn others.
Let us take a look at the visions, as recorded by the seers who simply record what they see and hear while in supernatural trance. Acts 10:9-17.
Vision No. 1
“I saw the whole earth covered with thousands upon thousands of people. Then I saw a huge, dark cloud begin to cover the earth, but the people weren’t aware of it.
As it passed over the people, they were all lulled to sleep. Then I saw some angels come and begin to shake and awaken a few of the people and carry them all to one place in the earth. After all had been brought together the angels joined them and they were all lifted up together. Then the earth and all that were left behind went up in flames.
Then I heard a voice speak these words:
“Arise and shake thyself from the dust and seek me as never before. Watch and pray for you know not the day nor the hour of your visitation. Except ye be found in me ye shall likewise perish.”
Vision No. 2
I saw Brother Thomas walking in the woods, praying and seeking the Lord. As he prayed, an angel walked beside him and was recording the things he was saying as he talked with the Lord. Then I saw him kneeling by his bed; still crying out to the Lord with all of his heart in behalf of His people.
Then the scene changed and I saw him in the church here and then in the church in Jacksonville. As he preached to the people, at first they couldn’t receive very much of the light that was going out to them but gradually they began to receive more and more light.
Then the scene changed again and this time I saw the outline of a man on the ground in a place that looked like a meadow. Brother Thomas was leading a group of people to this outline and helping them to find their places inside of the outline.
Then I heard a voice speak these words:
“Continue to seek me with all your heart, mind, and soul and I will be with you and use you to help set my people free from the bondages of Babylon and bring them to my body to be taught that I might fill them with my spirit and use them to glorify me.
Seek me daily and I shall continue to reveal unto you the mysteries of God that you might go forth and help my people in this end time for this is the end of all time and many are unaware. I have called you and prepared you to sound an alarm in my holy mountain and to awaken my people who have been lulled to sleep. Seek me and wait before me and I shall lead you on for I am with you to help and strengthen and bless. Trust me and press on even through the darkest valley for I am by your side to lead you all the way.”
The first vision shows the earth and the works therein going up in flames immediately after the Lord takes His people out. I am well aware that this is contrary to the usual rapture theory teaching. It is my firm conviction that the premillennial teaching held by the most of our religious world is what has lulled many to sleep. If you will remember, both visions mentioned that many have been lulled to sleep.
I confess that this teaching is popular and sounds good to the carnal mind. How sweet it sounds that Jesus will come and take us weary Christians out before the great tribulation.
During the seven terrible years of tribulation the Jews are supposed to be converted then Christ will come and set up his thousand-year reign with Jerusalem, the religious center of the earth.
And of course during the golden era called the Millennium the Jews will become missionaries to the Gentile world. How wonderful this all sounds. If they don’t get in before Jesus comes, surely the tribulation and the conversion of the Jews will open their eyes.
If the Gentiles are still unconverted after all this, surely the thousand golden years with the devil bound and the Jews preaching the gospel of the kingdom will bring them in.
Certainly this teaching would serve to lull people to sleep. Why be in such a hurry to get ready since there will be seven years plus a thousand years, plus a short season even after Jesus comes?
No need to put on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand in the most evil day the world has ever experienced. Why get ready for something we are not going to have to face? Eph. 6:11-13.
When Christ comes for His church there will be total destruction of the ungodly and all the elements shall melt with fervent heat. II Pet. 3:10. There will be no days or time or any other dispensation after the second coming of Christ. This truth can be clearly seen in the scriptures. Please lay aside all prejudice and bias as I submit these scriptures to you.
No Days After The Last Days
“The New Testament emphasizes the fact the ‘these days’ which make up the present Gospel era are the last (Heb. 1:1-2), and the self-evident truth of this statement is that there can be no days after the last. See Jude 18; I John 2:18 where it is stated that this Gospel age is the last time.” The Millennium, What it is Not, and What it Is, Dr. George B. Fletcher, p. 10.
Actually this should be enough to rule out the erroneous idea of a thousand-year millennium after Christ’s second coming, but we will continue to search the Word for more evidence.
Let us consider the various accounts of Christ’s second coming.
“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:37. When Noah and his family were in the ark, then the door was shut, there was no second chance or opportunity for anyone to get in. Their day of salvation was over. Then came the flood of destruction and they all were taken away. Luke 17:26-27. Where is your thousand-year millennium?
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:28-29. Here we have the same pattern. Lot was rescued or saved, then came immediate destruction. Where is your thousand-year millennium?
Now let us consider the parable of the ten virgins. Matt. 25:1-13. As you know, there were five wise virgins and five foolish virgins. All of them went forth to meet the bridegroom. Verse five of Matt. chapter 25 tells us that they all slumbered and slept while the bridegroom tarried. When the midnight cry went forth they all woke up (verse 6). The foolish virgins had no oil, so they went to buy oil of their own (verse 9).
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 25:10-13.
Here again we have the same pattern. Christ comes for those that are ready, then the door of opportunity or salvation is shut. I ask you again, where is your second chance or your Thousand-Year Millennium?
Now let us see what the Apostle Paul teaches concerning the second coming of Christ.
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” II Thess. 1:7-10.
If these that know not God and that obey not the gospel are going to be destroyed when he comes to be glorified in his saints, who is going to be left to enter the millennium?
Let us examine what Peter says about Christ’s second coming.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” II Peter 3:10. Once again we see the very same pattern. Christ will come for his people (or Church), then at the same time, there will be total destruction. Beloved, for the last time I ask you, where is your Thousand-Year Millennium?
The Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ all give us the exact same truth in their teaching on the second coming of Christ. All warn us to be ready for that day.
The truth is, there is no Thousand-Year Millennium after the second coming of Christ. Beloved, if you have been lulled to sleep by false doctrine then I beg you to take heed to the warning given in the first vision.
“Arise and shake thyself from the dust and seek me as never before. Watch and pray for you know not the day nor the hour of your visitation. Except ye be found in me ye shall all likewise perish.”
My only motive for writing this article is that I may convey God’s URGENT warning that He gave us concerning His soon coming. He states in the second vision that this end time we are living in is the END OF ALL TIME. I believe with all my heart that God gave these visions to us that we might warn His people of the lateness of the hour.
Also in the second vision the Lord exhorts Brother Thomas to seek him daily. He said that he would reveal the mysteries of God to him that he might go forth and help his people in this end time. Here in Jacksonville, Florida, we are trying to help and warn the Lord’s people of the lateness of the hour. Brother Thomas ministers over the radio five days a week. By the lack of response, we are made more aware that many have been lulled asleep. Nevertheless, by God’s grace, we shall continue to blow the trumpet in Zion.