I want to state that I am a pre-trib believer, that I have studied Thessalonians, looked at Rev. 4:10, am very aware of mid-trib, post-trib, pre-mill.,a-mill,post-mill. and stick with the golden rule of Bible interpretation.

My question is: WHEN did Rev.4:1 come into view as a Rapture point (yes, I am aware of the early church fathers and their belief in the Rapture, i.e Pseudo-Ephraim of Syria also), when did this particular verse become a Rapture point? (yes, I know that the word rapture is not in the modern translations comes from the Latin Vulgate).

Apart from designating John as a church symbol, for which there is not a justifiable cause or purpose, there is so small evidence to suggest anything other than what is read.(Golden Rule) If one symbolizes John as the church simply because he was called up to heaven, then are we not also required to take on the purpose of the calling and say that the church(raptured) would only be taken up to heaven to be shown the things that were yet to take place? John was to be shown the things that are yet to take place, “come up here”, does not mean anything else. It just seems that alot of believers go to great lengths to explain this verse as a symbolic illustration of the rapture. Getting references from this verse with loose ties from more well known “rapture” scriptures, is supposition.

My husband and I have been Christians for a long time. We faithfully and gratefully tithed for many years. But when severe financial problems caused partly by life-threatening ill health and the rest by poor financial choices occurred, we waivered. We started frantically trying to pay day to day living expenses that were piling up and tragically abandoned our tithing out of a misguided sense of responsibility. We put our responsibility to our earthly debtors above our responsibility to obey God. We are ashamed.

Some doctrinal confusion from various pastors’ opinions also entered in to the mix and we have remained confused about it ever since. We finally went bankrupt, lost our home and are living with relatives. The ill health in both of us is still present, but stable and we are still earning. We are elderly.

Here is our question. We intend to resume tithing. But is it acceptable to ask forgiveness for having robbed God for several years and start anew from here? Or is it more proper to pay more than 10% in an attempt to repay our tithe debt to God as best we can? Please understand that our motives aren’t intended to sound stingy. We just don’t know whether we are putting ourselves under unnecessary bondage with trying to catch up a huge debt by paying many years of unpaid tithes. Thank you for helping us discover the correct wisdom in this matter.

In one of your answers you said children have guardian angels. What is their purpose, if this is true? I keep hearing more and more on the news of small children, even babies being sexually molested. Where is the protector, the guardian? What, then, is the role of the guardian angel? I do believe in angels but I do not believe in guardian angels as being an angel who is with someone 100% of the time no matter what the age simply because of the molestation of children that is on the increase in this world.

I just finished reading this week’s article, Leave Jerusalem Alone.” You cited Zechariah 8:3 This is what the LORD says: I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain. How can God dwell in Jerusalem if the third Temple is built in Shiloh? Do you think Jerusalem will have new boundaries in the Millennium?

I live in South Africa. I enjoy your teachings and am a regular reader and pupil learning, checking, comparing etc. My pastor announced this week that he was invited to the Congo, to do some teachings there, and it will be for some time. We agreed some time ago that if God sends you, God will provide everything, and there should not be any problems. He told us previously that How God had provided miraculously and witnessed about it. During the service he said that if anybody feels led to contribute towards his trip, they should come and speak to Him after the sermon.

I have some money available, and I feel that if I ask God to make clear to me the exact amount the pastor needs, that both of us will be spiritually stirred and lifted by it as He will then know that it is God’s plan, and I will know that God heard me, and answered my prayers, and I will be blessed by hearing God’s voice/answer.

I really expect an answer from God, as I want to be a good steward of His money. What if I give and he goes to the Congo and it is not God’s will? Is it wrong from me to expect a reply from my Father? I do not want to tell God what to do and how, but want confirmation and peace in Him.

You have been good to answer so many of my questions. I have been involved with a kind man who has been renting a cabin on my land. Of late he has lost his job due to his boss dying. His mental state has been very odd and he seems to have delusions as to some things that happened in the military. How does God want us to deal with this kind of thing?

How do we compare our Christian duty with modern medical psychotherapy structures? Didn’t Jesus heal minds? Why would God put a man in this condition? My friend says he wants to be healed, and he has confessed Christ. Please help me understand.

My question: When I became a Christian at 19 it was because someone told me about Jesus Christ dying for my sins. I didn’t know anything else except I wanted Him as my Lord. I built my doctrine from there by reading the Bible and attending churches and fellowships.I’d like to know what you believe can keep a person from actually having been saved.

The question you recently answered on Revelation 22 reminded me I had one, too. The timing of things confuses me. It looks like we’ve had the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20. So why are there still liars & murders & idolaters outside the gates of the city? Is the city the New Jerusalem?

We are grateful to you for all your help, and grateful to the Lord for you.

On your reply to the question on Revelation 22:1-6. I do not understand how one comes to the belief that this is in Israel, and as for the growing seasons, I don’t understand how one can think there are growing seasons for this tree either as it clearly says that there is no day or night for God is our continual light and the river flows from the throne of God. Is not the throne of God in heaven?

In 2 Thess. 2 verses 6 and 7 it is speaking of the restraining and the restrainer. The commonly held belief is that in order for the Holy Spirit to stop restraining, the Church has to be gone. Why can’t He stop restraining the man of lawlessness just in obedience to the Father’s timing?