The rapture is the part of the resurrection for those who are alive at the time of Christ’s return to be gathered to Him. Those who are dead in Him are already with Him [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18].
Archive for the ‘The Timeline of the End’ Category
An observation about the remnant puts the rapture where it should be
06.08.2012Dr. John MacArthur teaching the Islamic End-Time Paradigm [VIDEO]
05.07.2012Islam and the 7 Year Tribulation
Additional resources:
- A proper explanation of Daniel 9:26 actually points away from a revived Roman Empire [VIDEO]
- The Antichrist: European Aristocrat or Middle Eastern Muslim? Part 1
- Middle Eastern gentiles excited about the coming of the Biblical Antichrist
- The Scriptural Evidence for a Revived Islamic Caliphate
- Interview between Dr. Michael Brown and Joel Richardson about an Islamic Antichrist
The Olivet Discourse & Luke 17: Timeline of the Last Days
04.22.2012There are many timelines in Scripture concerning the last days. The Olivet Discourse is one of them and, I believe, the most important. It is a record of Jesus’ own words on the matter. It is a sequential timeline of events given in response to His
disciples’ questions of when future things would take place. His disciples asked Him when and He gave them the timeline.
I’ve taken the Olivet Discourse from the three Gospels it appears in and also another reference to the same events from Luke 17 and meticulously (I hope) meshed them together as a study guide to get a complete timeline of the things Christ taught to His disciples. The verses in parentheses have no bearing on the timeline but I left them in in order to get a complete picture of the passage.
I’ve also included my own observations and a couple of questions at the end about some of these things as well. Since it is always my desire to get you thinking about God’s Word, I would suggest you tackle the questions before reading my observations to give the Spirit a chance to speak to you. Scripture quoted is from the NASB.
What is the Hour of Testing/Trial?
08.20.20117th in the series. Starts here.
An examination of Revelation 3:10 shows it is not referring to a Pre-Trib Rapture
Pre-Tribulationists like to point to Revelation 3:10 as evidence of the Church being raptured before the Tribulation starts. One tension I have with that is this: as believers, we are already kept from God’s wrath through the finished work of Christ on the Cross. We are not destined for wrath as followers of Christ [1Th 5:9]. He has told us this in many places and this is actually His intent upon saving us [Romans 5:8-9]. He saves us from Himself. The rapture, therefore, has no bearing on our standing before God and is not a vehicle for our Salvation from His wrath.
I believe Revelation 3:10 is not referencing the Rapture, but the actual hour of Christ’s Return.
The Thessalonians and the Thief
07.31.20116th in the series. Starts here.
An examination of the analogy of the thief as used by Christ, Paul and Peter and how the analogy can be used to deduce that the time between the Rapture and the final battle is much less than seven years
My study of prophetic timelines for the end of days has repeatedly shown the Church enduring the Tribulation and the Rapture happening as Christ returns to the earth. It is at His Return that Christ also defeats the Antichrist in the final battle at Armageddon [Rev 19:11-21]. Pre-Tribulationists believe the Church will be raptured before the Tribulation begins. They view Christ’s Second Coming as two actions separated by at least the seven year time span of the Tribulation, claiming His return in the clouds to gather His elect [1Th 4:17] is different from His Return to the earth for the final battle against the Antichrist [Rev 19:11-21]. Since Christ spoke of His Return in a singular manner (i.e. coming not comings), I suspect this is an attempt to rationalize the Pre-Trib view with Christ’s clear announcement of His one and only Second Coming [Mat 24:37].
The considerations:
- Christ speaks of His Return as one event
- Pre-Tribulationists stretch this single event over the seven-year time span of the Tribulation
Question: Does Scripture teach a seven-year gap between the Rapture and the final battle?
We will examine this next using Christ’s analogy of the thief. (more…)
Looking to Christ on His Return
07.17.20115th in the series. Starts here.
Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,
[2Th 2:1 NASB]
Whenever possible, I prefer to go directly to the source, Jesus Christ, to solve Biblical issues. There are many Scriptural arguments one could make against a Pre-Trib Rapture. These would include the uses of certain word-pictures and analogies, etc., used by Peter and Paul. And, God willing, we will look at these things in the next post for additional confirmation, but, really, we need not look any further than Jesus who has told us everything in advance [Mark 13:23]. Let’s go directly to the Olivet Discourse.
Matthew. Jesus is speaking.
Mat 24:27-31 NASB “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Jesus speaks of His Return as a singular “coming” not a plural “comings”.
[28] “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
This is a reference to the aftermath of the final battle [Rev 19:17-18, 21].
[29] “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
He says “immediately after the tribulation”.
[30] “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.
Christ returns here. The tribes of the earth will mourn. Why? They will mourn because Jesus is back to rule. If He took the Church and left, I would think they’d actually end up rejoicing rather than mourning since they don’t want the Church here anyway.
[31] “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
This is the Rapture.
Mat 24:36-41 NASB “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
What day? The day of His Return.
[37] “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. [38] “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, [39] and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Again, Jesus is talking about His “coming”, not “comings”.
[40] “Then there will be two men in the field;
When? On that day.
one will be taken and one will be left.
When? On that day.
[41] “Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.
When? On that day.
He has just described the Rapture as taking place at this time. Did you read anything about anyone avoiding tribulation by way of rapture? As we just saw, He says these things will take place “immediately after the tribulation” [Matthew 24:29].
In verse 27, He says “coming”. In verse 36, He says “coming”. It is the same event and it includes the Rapture.
Mark. Jesus is speaking.
Mark 13:23-27 NASB “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.
Jesus says here that He has told us everything in advance. He then goes on to explain that the Rapture takes place at His Second Coming.
[24] “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, [25] AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. [26] “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. [27] “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
Jesus says the His elect will be gathered from the earth and also from Heaven. Interestingly, 1Th 4:14, a verse in the same context as the verses Pre-Tribbers like to use [1Th 4:16-17], says people will indeed be returning with Christ just as it says here.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
[1Th 4:14 NASB]
Those who have already died in Christ will be given their resurrected bodies before those who are alive at this time [1Th 4:15].
For this study, we have looked at the words that came out of Christ’s own mouth, and… I daresay… though we are prone to err, Christ knows what He is talking about.
© P2ALM 2011
The Manner of Christ’s Return
07.09.20114th in the series. Starts here.
Christ will return in the same way He left
Ok. Now let’s get into some Scripture dealing directly with the Return of Christ.
The disciples were told Christ would return the same way He left. What does that mean? It means the Church won’t be raptured before the Tribulation.
In Acts chapter 1, the disciples are speaking with Jesus just before He ascends to Heaven after His Resurrection. Let’s go there now.
So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
[Acts 1:6-11 NASB]
The disciples asked Jesus if He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time. This is referring to Christ’s Millennial Reign when He reigns on the earth from Jerusalem [Revelation 20:4-6]. Christ says it is not for anyone to know at what time He will return to set up His Kingdom.
As they are watching him ascend into Heaven on a cloud, two angels appear and tell them that when He returns it will be in the same way. What does that mean? Let’s simplify the action.
- Jesus’ feet are on the ground
- He ascends to Heaven to a cloud
This means that when He returns, He will descend from Heaven from a cloud until His feet once again touch the ground.
Christ descends to the Mount of Olives. 1 Thessalonians says he will descend from a cloud and Zechariah [14:4] says His feet will touch the Mount of Olives. Simply speaking, Christ has to pass through clouds to reach the earth. While He is still in the clouds, on His way to the earth, He gathers His elect for the final battle and then continues to the earth to fight.
These verses in 1 Thessalonians and Zechariah are referring to the Coming of the Lord, His Second Coming.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
[1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB]
Those who are alive at that time will meet Jesus in the clouds.
Let’s walk through the entire passage in 1 Thessalonians in context.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 NASB For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
The Lord descends from Heaven from a cloud while He meets all believers in the air. The Rapture begins with the resurrection of those who are dead in Christ. The Rapture ends with the resurrection of those who are alive in Christ. It is all within the twinkling of an eye [1 Corinthians 15:52]. We will all meet Christ in the clouds upon His return as He is descending to the earth. There’s no reason to think that His feet will not touch down upon the earth at this time when we are told, as we have seen, that He will return in the same manner in which He left. Where will His feet touch the ground?
In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
[Zechariah 14:4 NASB]
His feet will once again touch the ground at the very place he ascended from, the Mount of Olives [Acts 1:12].
Christ will descend from Heaven from a cloud. We will meet Him in the air. His feet will touch the earth at the Mount of Olives. He will go to wage war with the Antichrist [Revelation 19:11-21]. This is the end of the tribulation.
Just like above when:
- Jesus’ feet are on the ground
- He ascends to Heaven to a cloud
We can reverse the order when He returns:
- Jesus descends from Heaven from a cloud
- His feet, again, touch the ground
In the Pre-Tribulation view, Christ will be flying around in the air with us for seven years before He touches the ground. Clearly, this is not correct.
© P2ALM 2011
Is a Pre-Tribulation Rapture Biblical?
07.02.20113rd in the series. Starts here.
Refuting a Pre-Trib Rapture from Scriptural precepts
Before we get into Scripture dealing directly with the Tribulation and the Rapture, I want to present some peripheral arguments against a Pre-Trib Rapture.
I do not wish to cause ill feeling between those of us who believe we will be raptured before the beginning of the Tribulation and those of us who don’t. However, I do not believe that a Pre-Trib Rapture is Scriptural and there are also few things about this view that cause a wrestle in my spirit. I will attempt to explain from Scriptural precepts why a Pre-Tribulation view is not biblical. I will expose some very real dangers associated with entertaining a Pre-Tribulation Rapture as well as look at Christ’s own words for a solution to the issue.
REFUTING A PRE-TRIB RAPTURE FROM SCRIPTURAL PRECEPTS
The Church grows out of persecution. All one has to do is look at China to know that God’s church grows during intense persecution. The early Church grew because of the martyrdom of Stephen [Acts 7:59]. During the persecution that ensued, all of the people scattered back to their hometown [Acts 8:1]. Christ promises persecution and His Church benefits from it [Luke 21:12; Acts 11:19-21]. How would He hold us from the greatest time of persecution ever known [1 Peter 1:6-9, 4:12-13; James 1:2-4]?
Consider, right after Paul was stoned in Lystra, he went through the surrounding cities,
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
[Act 14:22 NASB]
How will they hear? Paul writes,
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”
[Romans 10:14-15 NASB]
Will no one be saved during the Tribulation? What about the Tribulation Saints [Revelation 7:9-17]? I cannot conclude that the Church won’t be around during the Tribulation when it clearly says “these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation” [Revelation 7:14]. Revelation 12 tells us that after Israel flees for her safety into the wilderness, Satan goes off “to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” [Revelation 12:17]. Satan will make war with the Saints who on on the earth during this time [Revelation 13:7].
Perseverance is perfected in tribulation.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
[Romans 5:3-5 NASB]
Revelation 13:10 says,
If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
[Revelation 13:10 NASB]
If anyone is destined for captivity when? During the Tribulation. If anyone kills with the sword when? During the Tribulation. What produces perseverance? Tribulation.
But Noah and Lot were rescued from tribulation. Pre-Trib proponents will sometimes point to Noah or Lot to make a case for the Church missing the Tribulation because God rescued them before disaster came. God did indeed save them from His wrath, but not the wrath of man (or Satan). It is unreasonable to think they did not experience persecution before God supernaturally intervened. Noah undoubtedly was the target of ridicule and persecution during the 120 years of his ministry [Gen 6:3; 1Pe 3:20]. I would also think that Lot, a righteous man living in a sinful, homosexual community, was persecuted. In each of these instances, they were supernaturally protected and delivered right before the crushing blow of judgment was dealt, not against them, but those in rebellion. It’s the same with the Rapture.
- God’s angels rescued Lot [Genesis 19:16]
- God, Himself, sealed the Ark [Genesis 7:16]
God’s wrath ensued immediately after they were safe [Genesis 7:17-23; 19:22-24].
Is cohabitation biblical? The wedding of Christ to His Bride is announced in Revelation 19. In verse 7 it says the Bride is ready to be wed to her husband. Then we read on to find it is her husband who returns in verse 11. This is Jesus Christ’s triumphant return to the earth when He defeats the Antichrist in the final battle [19:11-21]. When He appears, He receives His Bride by way of rapture [Revelation 16:15]. The Pre-Trib view has Christ living with His Bride for seven years before the marriage.
THE DANGERS OF TEACHING A PRE-TRIB RAPTURE
I know there are some of you wondering why this is even important. I mean, aren’t there more important things to be studying? Here are a few reasons.
Apathy towards prophecy. Christ assumes we will be watching [Matthew 24:33]. Though I know this is not the intention of most of its proponents, the Pre-Trib view can promote apathy toward studying prophecy, a large portion of God’s Word. I’ve personally experienced this from the responses of certain people when they find out I study prophecy. After all, why study it if we’re not going to be here? My response is usually to start a discussion by asking them why they think Christ preached on it and why God included prophecy all throughout His Book.
A false view of God. It has been my experience that for many people the Pre-Tribulation view has slight overtones of the common question why would God allow bad things to happen to good people? For some, it’s as though they’ve determined they are somehow good enough, or worthy enough, to not suffer tribulation. Again, this is entirely contrary to God’s Word which promises all believers tribulation throughout their walk with Christ [John 16:33; Acts 14:22].
A shipwreck of the faith. To me, this is the biggest danger of the Pre-Trib view. What do you think will happen when millions of people are expecting to be raptured before the Tribulation starts, and then it starts and these people haven’t been raptured? This will cause a shipwreck of the faith for some at the very least [1 Timothy 1:19]. It will cause some to fall away from the faith forfeiting some of their reward [1 Corinthians 3:14-15] and others to eternally fall away before ever achieving a personal relationship with Christ. It may also push the unbelieving even further away after they witness how God hasn’t returned for His own. This sounds to me like something Satan would enjoy deceiving people about.
However, don’t gamble with Scripture. In light of these things, you might be tempted to conclude that it’s better to not believe a Pre-Trib Rapture, regardless of what you believe Scripture says, just so you won’t be disappointed. It plays out like this: “I’ll just expect to go through the Tribulation and if I don’t, it won’t matter anyway.” There are two reasons why this is not beneficial. First, it puts an emphasis on a gambling element rather than the Word. Second, and most importantly, Jesus tells us exactly when the Rapture will take place within the context of His Second Coming.
Matthew 24:29-31 NASB “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [30] “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. [31] “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
We can believe the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is not true because Jesus didn’t teach it, not to avoid being disappointed.
© P2ALM 2011
Christ Always Has the Last Word
06.20.20112nd in the series. Starts here.
A commentary on the false premise that prophecy is unknowable and the true imminence of Christ’s Return
I remember I was dialoguing a couple of years ago with someone online about Christ’s Return. After stating that I believe the Church will be present during the Tribulation, the person commented, “You must be one of those premillenial dispensationalists” (I’m not, by the way). My response was, “I don’t even know what that means. I just read the Bible.” Ever since I have endeavored to uncover why there seems to be some sort of breakdown in this area where so many Spirit-filled people can come to different conclusions and I have wondered why there seems to be a lack of belief of Christ’s own words on the matter.
Just today, I was listening to an apologetics personality on the radio whom I greatly respect. People were calling in to say the earthquake in Japan was one of the signs Jesus spoke of in the Olivet Discourse, particularly the earthquakes in various places, and that it was proof the end times were upon us. The host was quick to state that those signs described are events that take place during the Tribulation and that there was nothing on the prophetic calendar that needed to happen before Christ returns. He said Jesus would return before then. He was referencing the Olivet Discourse which is a sequential timeline of events. I wanted to call and ask him why he places those verses about earthquakes inside the Tribulation only to pull out the later verses where Jesus says His Return, and the gathering of His elect is “Immediately after the Tribulation of those days…” and places them before its start [Matthew 24:29-31].
He then went on to say that he generally stays out of the eschatological arguments about the rapture and, in so many words, appealed to the feigned obtuseness of the matter as though, somehow, we simply cannot know what Jesus taught about it. In fact, he proceeded to not take any calls on it and turned the volume down when someone brought it up.
What is this attitude that has developed? This seems to be the attitude of many and I believe it’s entirely unrealistic. It’s like agreeing to not study God’s Word about it because we don’t believe we can ever come to the truth. Jesus says He has told us everything in advance [Mark 13:23] and He places the Rapture in the context of His Coming after the Tribulation [Matthew 24:29-31, 39-41].
When reading the Olivet Discourse, why pull out the verses describing Jesus’ return and the gathering of the elect and place them before the Tribulation starts?
It wasn’t my intention to write this paper specifically on this subject, but I thought it important for us all to realize that when Christ speaks, we can have confidence in what He says. This isn’t an apologetic argument as I have a tendency to deliver as much as it is an appeal to all to simply read His words. When He says the Rapture takes place at the time of His Coming after the Tribulation, we can believe Him. In fact, He states this twice in Matthew 24, once in verses 29-31 and again in verses 39-41.
What of the Imminence of Christ’s Return?
There are those who will say that placing Christ’s Return at the end of the Tribulation removes its imminence because the Tribulation must start first, etc. They will suggest that this kind of thinking promotes spiritual apathy because, if we know certain things must happen before His Return, it allows us time to be slack until then. After reminding them that spiritual slackness is not ever desirable considering they could die at any moment, my question is why should it do either of those things?
It is imminent in that we still do not know the day or the hour [Mark 13:32]. It is imminent in that it will be a time we least expect [Luke 12:40]. It is imminent in that Christ, Himself, does not even know the day or the hour [Matthew 24:36]. These truths are not incompatible.
Why should placing the Rapture at the end of the Tribulation remove the imminence of Christ’s Return when not even He knows the day or the hour?
He prompts us to remain spiritually diligent in Him in order to survive the times ahead and so we won’t be ashamed, or unready, when He does come [Matthew 25:1-13]. On the contrary, I think that believing the Church will not be here during the Tribulation can promote spiritual apathy.
And consider this about Christ’s imminence. Israel had to return to the land before Christ returns. This is what Scripture teaches. This happened in 1948 by a UN declaration. Christ’s Return is either imminent or it is not. It cannot be both. So, my question is, according to a Pre-Tribber’s definition of imminence, how could it not be imminent before Israel’s return and imminent now? Scripture can’t teach both with the same words.
Again, His Return is imminent in that no one knows the day or the hour.
We can have confidence in Christ’s words. He has indeed given us many timelines in prophetic Scripture. We can know the timing not the time of the Rapture and this is not incompatible with the imminence of His Return.
Jon
Mideast Beast: Official Full Trailer
06.17.2012To help make this new book launch successful, share this video amongst your various social networks. As a special for the new release, I am making both my new book (signed) together with my newest DVD set (four sessions) “The Return is Near” available for a really great discount. Thank you so much for all of your support.
>> Purchase the book
and the 4 DVD set for only $21.00
for a limited time <<
…
I’ve just finished reading the Mideast Beast and I strongly recommend that you read this book and get the DVDs. I believe it is the responsibility of every Christian to know the truth about the times we are in so we may better serve those around us by getting strong in the Word and sharing Christ with them. The most challenging days of the Church are only just ahead.
It has been my experience over the past few years of studying these things that once your eyes are opened, you will wonder how you thought anything other and you will realize that the answer has been there all along for us to discover. What is so refreshing is that these things fit Scripture exactly and there is no speculation involved. At the conclusion of the book you will be satisfied and left with answered questions rather than an imaginative tapestry of sensational scenarios.
The author properly identifies the Antichrist’s kingdom by showing that Scripture does not prophesy a renewed Roman Empire but a revived Islamic Caliphate and, in doing so, shows us exactly where we are on the timeline of the last days. He also effectively dismantles other false, end-time doctrines and shares extremely valuable insights and techniques on witnessing to Muslims. Joel Richardson’s biblical origin and definition of Islam is scripturally on the mark and it is something every Christian needs to be aware of in order to better reach Muslims with the salvation of Jesus Christ.
Quite simply, I’m amazed!
Jon
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Tags:antichrist, end-times, eschatology, islam, islamic antichrist, islamic caliphate, Jesus Christ, joel richardson, last days, mideast beast, prophecy, revived roman empire, sharia, shariah, tribulation
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