If you know me, then you already know I’m expecting Jesus Christ to Rapture me at any moment; and for that reason – being this close to the end – I’m not at all dissuaded by anything I see happening in this world…only because it so accurately adheres to such an easy-to-follow script, detailed throughout the entire Bible.
So, the way I see it, I can either follow the comforting words of Jesus – the author of said Bible – when He says to trust HIM in ALL things (yes, even those ridiculous prophetic passages); or I can put my faith in an evil world and an increasingly apostate Church, both of whom – as far as I can tell – lie to my face at every whipstitch.
And these days, a lot of those filthy lies center around the always controversial subject of the Rapture…something so completely misunderstood that most of the Church – terrified at what they see happening all around them but Biblically ignorant – doesn’t even want the
Rapture to happen. Huh? Christians who (for some reason) do NOT want Jesus to return to rescue them? Imagine that?
Well, actually...I can…for the simple reason that too many people still think the Rapture is ONLY about Christians suddenly disappearing and leaving the rest of the world in the lurch. Well, I have news for you. Not only is that assumption wrong, but it’s actually the antithesis of the truth. Yes, the TRUTH is…if there is any possible way for anyone OTHER than the Church to be saved, God MUST first rapture the Believers – so He can subsequently offer a NEW plan of Salvation to those who initially rejected Him; the LEFT BEHIND – as a last-ditch effort to save them.
Did you catch that? The Rapture of the Church has more to do with SAVING THE LOST INHABITANTS OF THIS WORLD – unbelievers who’ve been LEFT BEHIND – than it does with SAVING A FEW CHRISTIANS. Now, THAT'S grace!
Anyway...here are TEN valuable pieces of information concerning what will likely be the most STARTLING event in the history of the world...the upcoming Rapture of the Church. They may not be pretty, but #10 makes everything we do worthwhile. Shalom:
1. The Rapture FINALLY allows Satan to put his Antichrist candidate in power. Poor Satan. He’s had to wait so long for this. For 2,000 years, he’s always had some bad guy like Nero or Hitler (as well as a lot of good guys) ready to assume the position of Antichrist, but he could never pull the trigger. Why? Because we the Church (and the Holy Spirit in us) are still down here inhabiting the earth, spreading Christ’s Holiness, and preaching the Gospel that JESUS ALONE SAVES THROUGH FAITH ALONE. That was the whole reason for Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessaloniki. In 2 Thessalonians 2:6-9, Paul explains to this young Church of Believers that the Antichrist cannot come to power BEFORE the Rapture of the Church. But at the Rapture, that changes. When we leave, Satan IMMEDIATELY imbues a man with power, then that person becomes the Man of Sin; the Antichrist. Like the Thessalonians, we should take great comfort in knowing this – to better understand the exact order of the End Times – then get to work and tell others, while there is still time.
2. The Rapture will engender the world’s already deepening hatred for Christians. Just in the past few weeks, the world has seen a marked rise in antisemitism and anti-Christianity. Already viewed as misogynist, racist, homophobic and intolerant to liberals, Christianity is rapidly becoming a bane to this post-modern atheistic society. Thus, we can soon expect a full-out blitz of the world against Christians. And the Rapture of the Church will only exacerbate these feelings. Imagine, in the blink of an eye, millions of people including some of your friends and family suddenly disappearing from this world, leaving this sudden and massive vacuum. Depending on the time of day it happens – either at night or during the day – the collateral damage from the Rapture alone will be catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands of people will die, just from this one event. Sure, fake End Times movies have already shown planes falling from the sky and driverless cars careening out of control. But what about the debilitating shock, the heart attacks, the depression and mass suicides; as well as the unstoppable looting of Christian homes? And then, there’s the terrible truth you’ve been LEFT BEHIND, and the fact that your whole life you’ve been wrong…about EVERYTHING. Now, add to this the sudden disruption to normal everyday life, and the inevitable lockdown and martial law that will occur, as world governments attempt to somehow sort through the mind-numbing chaos. However, as soon as they understand what has happened, the world will immediately blame all Christians, then systematically pour out their bile on them. Problem is, those of us responsible for all the carnage have already been Raptured and are in Heaven. But most of the world doesn’t believe in a Rapture, do they? Thus, after we’re out of here, they won’t believe we’re actually gone, that we’re in Heaven, since they believe such thinking is ludicrous. They’ll probably think we’re still down here on earth somewhere; hiding, plotting against them. But we’ve been Raptured. So, guess who gets the blame for all those Rapture deaths? ANYONE who puts their faith in Christ, the redeemed LEFT BEHIND bunch, AKA anyone not marked with Satan’s sign. (Revelation 13:15-18) Yes, ironically the world will blame and DESPISE all Christians for the Rapture, even those who missed it. That’s why they will be systematically killed after we’re gone. That’s why the world hates them so during the 7 years of Tribulation. Hence the moniker: TRIBULATION MARTYRS.
3. The Rapture “explanation” provided by world governments will likely involve Extraterrestrials. A poll conducted earlier this year said most people believe we’ve been visited by ET’s. Then in April, the US government released classified information admitting WE ARE NOT ALONE, thus validating all ET and UFO sightings over the past 75 years, since a UFO crashed near Roswell, NM. (NOTE: I personally do not refute ETs and UFO sightings. I just believe these “beings” are actually satanic fallen angels, spoken of throughout the entire Bible, flying angelic “UFOs”. See Ezekiel 1.) In this manner, I believe Satan has found the ideal way to EXPLAIN AWAY the Rapture of the Church by basing it on something most of the world already believes…or wants to believe: ET's. Face it, this world is dying to meet a friendly Martian, right? Maybe this is the time? Already, there is a marked increase in alien sightings, an ever-growing mania for X-File-type media programming, and a global MARVEL COMICS mentality (especially amongst the youth) that has completely pre-programed the world to suddenly believing in the UNBELIEVABLE. Really, I can't think of a better time to introduce an alien life-form into our society...and I can imagine Satan thinks the same. So, after the Rapture and the sudden disappearance of millions of people, how will it happen? Will a UFO suddenly land on the White House lawn, for all the world to see? Will a nuclear attack on a major city be blamed on ET’s? Will KLAATU suddenly appear? I have no idea. But I do know, when the Rapture happens, for many, ALIEN involvement will likely be the plausible (maybe the ONLY) explanation for such an extraordinary event.
4. The Rapture will give the Antichrist a reason to finally unite the world in a campaign of PEACE AND SECURITY. Given all the chaos that will take place AFTER the Rapture, it’s understandable that the Antichrist will use the occasion to finally unite the entire world – a world suddenly reeling from fear and uncertainty – in a campaign of PEACE AND SECURITY. I’d also imagine the Rapture will scare the world into being willfully "chipped", especially if (in error) they believe aliens or dark forces are responsible for the disappearance of millions. Again, remember, they won’t believe our disappearance is caused by something as stupid as the Rapture, but instead will believe "We've been attacked!", thus there is still a looming and viable threat to them and their family. That’s why, the moment people fear they or their children could ALSO be ABDUCTED in the same way as the Church – the moment they are told that a non-intrusive microchip placed under their skin will PROTECT them from this happening to them – the world (out of sheer dread and self-preservation) will acquiesce in a nanosecond. Truthfully, though, I can’t really talk too much about an ALIEN explanation. For me, the idea of little green men visiting this earth still seems a bit too incredible to believe. Kinda like the Rapture, huh?
5. The Rapture allows Donald Trump’s DEAL OF THE CENTURY to finally go through. In short, Trump’s DEAL OF THE CENTURY can NOT happen while the Church is still down here; until the Rapture of the Church occurs. PERIOD. Still, most people would be surprised to know the DEAL has already been approved and given a July 1 start date. But again, pretty amazing that NO ONE KNOWS A THING ABOUT IT! That’s why I give Satan full credit for the masterful way he so deftly hid Trump’s DEAL OF THE CENTURY from the world – and especially the Church who loves and trusts him so – by sending one distraction after another…first Trump’s impeachment proceedings, then COVID19, and now, racial discord. Seriously, I was under the impression that Trump followers loved Israel; maybe not. Do Trump’s followers even know he’s breaking the Abrahamic Covenant with God? No, I don’t think they do. Do they realize Trump is actually creating an independent Palestinian state ON ISRAELI SOIL? No way they're privy to that. BUT NO ONE'S TRYING TO HIDE IT? I guess because there are more pressing issues in the world, no one cares about the Middle East anymore. I’m hard pressed to find anyone who even knows Trump’s DOTC is a done deal – signed off by Israel and the Arabs – and barring any delays, is 12 days away from happening. Will it be delayed? Maybe; but if so, Netanyahu will lose BIG. However, when the DEAL does go through – and again, Believers will NOT be on this earth to witness that infamous event – the earth-dwellers will immediately know it, and will immediately begin to witness God’s wrath, as punishment for Trump and Israel for their DIVIDING of God’s land begins to be meted out on this world. Thus, if you’re looking for a simple Old Testament explanation, a reason God is sending all the woes and chaos contained in the 7 years of Tribulation…this is it.
6. When the Rapture removes the presence of the Holy Spirit, the world literally becomes HELL ON EARTH. It was not until after I was saved in 2004, that I fully understood that a primary function of the Holy Spirit is to literally RESTRAIN Satan from unleashing all his evil on the world, in the form of the Antichrist and his “beastly” agenda. Yes, who knew all along that it was we the Church – sinful and imperfect yet filled with the Holy Spirit – who are responsible for keeping the man who would be Antichrist at bay these last two millennia. Unfortunately for the earth-dwellers, at the moment of the Rapture, both the Holy Spirit ceases to RESTRAIN Satan, and the world reverts BACK to the way it was BEFORE God sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; back to an Old Testament-type world, with Old Testament-type apocalyptic happenings, like plagues and pestilence and demons and demonic locusts and mountain-toppling earthquakes and 100-pound hailstones. Now, before you go thinking that the Holy Spirit has left the earth-dwellers completely on their own and is no longer intimately involved in what happens down here on earth during the final Tribulation, you’re sorely mistaken. After the Rapture, the Holy Spirit reappears on earth, albeit in a form DIFFERENT form than when He was here during the Church age. Instead, after the Rapture of the Church, He will function in a similar way to how He did during the Old Testament – prior to Jesus’s death and resurrection – when the Holy Spirit acted from the OUTSIDE IN; unlike now, in the Church age, when He acts from the INSIDE OUT.
7. The Rapture is a SIGN to Israel that Jesus IS their much-sought-after Messiah. The prophet Zechariah said in Chapter 13:8-9, that by the time Christ returns at the end of the Great Tribulation – to save what’s left of this earth and judge mankind – likely one-third of all Israel/Jews will have put their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, before passing into Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. And what is the initial catalyst that begins this Messianic movement? The RAPTURE. In Romans 11:25, the apostle Paul even refers to the Rapture of the Church as “the FULLNESS of the Gentiles”, marking it as a major SIGN to Israel to begin to turn their collective eyes to Jesus. From this point on, this movement by Israel toward recognizing Jesus as their Messiah will continue to grow, before reaching a crescendo in the last half of the Tribulation, during a period of intense persecution for the Jews, at a time we refer to as the GREAT Tribulation, a time known as to the Jews as “Jacob’s Trouble”.
8. The Rapture ushers in both the DAY OF THE LORD, as well as The Tribulation (AKA Daniel’s 70th “week”). For thousands of years, the world has awaited a time spoken of both in the Old Testament and the New Testament; a final time called THE DAY OF THE LORD (AKA the DAY); when Jesus “breaks the scroll” (Revelation 6:1), which begins a process of “turning the tide” against Lucifer, culminating in Satan’s ultimate defeat and imprisonment (for a thousand years). Not ironically, the beginning of the DAY is also the start of the 7-YEAR TRIBULATION (AKA Daniel’s 70th Week), both of which commence the moment the newly-established Antichrist “confirms” the Israel/Arab peace covenant, Donald Trump’s DEAL OF THE CENTURY (the details of such an agreement being found in Daniel 9:27). And since the Antichrist cannot come to power until the Church and the Holy Spirit are both gone (2 Thessalonians 2:6-9), so too the DAY and the 7-YEAR TRIBULATION cannot begin until the man who will be Antichrist is first empowered by Satan. Obviously, many will take great comfort in knowing that none of this can happen until the Church is Raptured. Yet, they should know this event is likely days/weeks away.
9. The Rapture will take CERTAIN children…but not all. A question that pops up time and time again…’Will ALL children be taken in the Rapture?’ In a word: NO. For one, if the world was completely devoid of children, then it would be impossible for the Antichrist to truly bring PEACE and SECURITY to this world, as detailed in Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 6:1-2. As well, the words of Jesus, in both His Olivet Discourse and His Book of Revelation, envision a world AFTER the Rapture that – at least for a time – is living a somewhat “normal” existence, where people are marrying, giving in marriage, eating, drinking, conducting commerce, etc. Obviously, if the Rapture of the Church had removed ALL children from the world, this would not be the case. As well, Jesus warned about being pregnant during the Tribulation (Matthew 24:19), as it would be difficult to escape to a safe place. Again, if all infants are taken, I’m guessing that includes the prenatal. So, does the Bible say which children are Raptured and which stay? If it does, I believe 1 Corinthians 7:14 may provide a clue, where Paul implies that if even one parent is SAVED – and subsequently Raptured – the children (who’ve not yet reached the age of accountability) will join them. However (and remember the Bible isn’t crystal clear about this), my belief is that – where both parents are unbelievers – their kids will likely stay with them during the duration of the 7-year Tribulation.
10.The Rapture will drive millions and millions of the Left Behind to Salvation through Jesus Christ. By far the greatest benefit of the Rapture will be the mass millions upon millions of non-Believers, the Left Behind, who will be SAVED during the horrible 7-year Tribulation. From what the apostle John sees in his vision – from what he sees in at the opening of the 5th seal (Revelation 6:9-11) – it seems most of the saved DURING the Tribulation will need to suffer martyrdom. But at least they’ll be Saved, and we will see them again in the Kingdom. How amazing, that our Lord would extend such grace...even to those who initially rejected Him.
Earlier in the blog, I mentioned how I now visualize the Rapture as more than just a DISAPPEARANCE; as more of an AMAZING evangelistic tool. But does the Bible support this theory? From the apostle John’s perspective, I believe it does, since John in a vision looks out over a crowd too populous to count, then says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a GREAT multitude which NO ONE COULD NUMBER…” (Revelation 7:9)
Since I interpret this throng of White-Robed martyrs as numbering in the tens of millions, maybe more, I’ve come to agree with Bible teacher John Barnett when he says there will likely be MORE people saved AFTER the Rapture of the Church, than in the past 2,000 years. For the sake of all my unsaved friends and family – for all the poor lost souls that I love so much – I sure hope Barnett is right.