Ephraim
Ephraim The Syrian
~ Ephraim's "The Book of the Cave of Treasure", reveals he taught that Daniel's Seventieth Week will be fulfilled in the final seven years at the end of this age that will conclude with Christ's return at the Battle of Armageddon to establish His kingdom. ~ mayimhayim.org
~ "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins" (On the Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, by Ephraim the Syrian, A.D. 373) ~ mayimhayim.org & OrthodoxChristianity
Excerpts From: Ephraim the Syrian ~
"Ten Undiscovered Pretribulation-Rapture Passages"
~ soothekeep.org ~
#1 (239) "Behold, the kingdom of heaven is at the doors [ready] to flash forth, but we don’t want to hear about these things—not ever. The signs and wonders, which the Lord said had to happen, the famines, the earthquakes, the terrors, and the nations in upheaval. These all seem to us like a dream to be told to others. The report of these things does not disturb us, nor the spectacle itself. For the elect shall be gathered prior to the tribulation, so they shall not see the confusion and the great tribulation coming upon the unrighteous world. The season for harvest has now drawn nigh, and the end of the age holds forth. Angels holding scythes are waiting for the nod. Let us fear, brethren, for it is the eleventh hour of the day." ~ Sermon on Repentance and Judgment and the Separation of the Soul From the Body
#2 (14) "Behold, now the holy and the just are chosen and gathered into the harbor of life that they should not see the tribulation and the snares (stumbling blocks) coming upon us because of our sins. … If we don’t now hasten and weep shamelessly, rightly repenting in humility of soul and complete meekness, oh how we shall mourn in the tribulation …Again, when we see the saints in glory flying off in light in the clouds of the air to meet Christ, the king of glory, but see ourselves in the great tribulation, who shall be able to bear that shame and terrible reproach?" ~ On the Fathers Who Have Completed Their Course
#3 (407-408) "The righteous ... shall be seized up in the clouds to meet him. While those who are lazy and timid like me shall remain on earth trembling. . . (409) For behold the Bridegroom is ready to proceed on the clouds of heaven with the glory of his blessed Father. And he will summon each of you by name, and he will place you in the rank of those saints abiding in the unspeakable light in the life that is undefiled, immortal, and eternal, according to your labors." ~ On the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ
#4 (115) "Watch always, praying continually, that you may be worthy to escape the tribulation ... (116) for if anyone has tears and compunction, let him pray the Lord that he might be delivered from the tribulation which is about to come upon the earth, that he might not see it all, nor the beast himself, nor even hear of its terrors. For there shall be famines, earthquakes, and diverse pestilences upon the earth. … We need to use many prayers and tears, oh beloved, that each and every one of us might be found steadfast in [our] trials, for many fantastic (deceptive?) signs by [the hand of] the beast are going to happen … (117) … Finally, brethren, there is a terrible struggle for all those men who are lovers of Christ, (118) that we may not manifest timidity till the hour of [our] death, neither stand in weakness (sponginess) when the dragon is marking with his own seal in opposition to the cross of the Saviour. … (122) And there is nowhere to flee or hide. Everything is in disarray—in the sea and on land. This is why the Lord said to us, watch and pray continuously that you might escape the tribulation." ~ Sermon on the Advent, the End, and the Coming of the Antichrist ~
#5 (179) "Therefore beloved, faithful servants and elect soldier monks, let us take up in our hearts the full armor which we have been talking about, and without delay meditate on them one by one, that we may be able to fight the good fight and tread down all the power of the enemy, that we might be delivered from the wrath coming upon the sons of disobedience and that we might find mercy and grace in the day of judgment before the righteous judge who renders to every man according to his works." ~ On Patience and the Consummation of this Age, and on the Second Coming . . .
#6 (19) "Blessed is he who unceasingly remembers the fear of Gehenna and hastens to sincerely repent with tears and groans in the Lord, for he shall be delivered from the great tribulation." ~ On the Fifty-Five Beatitudes,
#7 (272-273) "Give to us a desire, Lord, to watch for your meeting, having the loins of our understanding girded and the intellectual lamp of our soul unquenchable, waiting for you, our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Count us worthy, Lord, of the rapture of the righteous, when they meet you the Master in the clouds, that we might not be tried by the bitter and inexorable judgment … The righteousness flight is swift, lifting the righteous from earth to heaven. May your grace, Lord, be our strength, and may you take us up in the clouds, with the righteous and the elect in the air, to meet you the king of everything." ~ On the Sermon on the Resurrection of the Dead
#8 (94) "Let us pray the Lord in great humility that he would take us out (remove us) from the coming fear, and count us worthy of that rapture (snatching away) when the righteous are raptured (snatched) in the clouds to the air to meet the king of glory, and we shall inherit the kingdom of heaven with meekness and humility.." ~ On The Destruction of Pride
#9 (68) "Blessed are those who cry day and night that they should be delivered from the coming wrath." ~ On How the Soul Ought to Pray God with Tears and On the Blessed and the Cursed
#10 (323) "Blessed are those who cry day and night because they shall be delivered from the coming wrath." ~ On the Blessed and the Cursed