1 Corinthians 15:52 “in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
What do you think is going to happen to the world the moment the church is raptured into Heaven?
The term ‘rapture’ has had different connotations given to it, for instance If someone is listening in rapture to a song, they are listening with intense pleasure or joy. Biblically the Rapture refers to the moment the church is removed from the earth and meets Jesus in the clouds, right before the beginning of the 7 year tribulation. Compared with other descriptions of the term, the biblical event matches the description: ecstasy, bliss, euphoria, elation, exaltation, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, cloud nine, seventh heaven, transport, rhapsody, enchantment, delight, exhilaration, happiness, pleasure, ravishment. informal the top of the world.
The descriptions given for a rapture match what I believe the church will be experiencing the moment they meet Jesus in the air.
The world will be experiencing a different set of emotions.
Shock
1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.”
Imagine if your one who has been left behind. Your driving to work and suddenly cars begin to careen off the road, people are seen wandering outside their homes in shock, looking around like they are in some kind of dream. Maybe you’re standing next to someone when suddenly their clothes drop to the ground into a pile, the shock and bewilderment will leave many searching for answers.
Every news source will have the disappearances as the topic of the day, from the fires and wrecks that have occurred all over the globe to the looting and chaos that follows, every story will be another aspect of this major event.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
The interviews will be with loved ones who were left behind. Many will claim they are christians and believe that if this were the rapture, they would have been taken as well. Prominent leaders will declare this event was something other than biblical, even major religious leaders left behind will make statements that will leave the world scrambling for answers.
Poster boards will litter stores and markets, looking for loved ones that have suddenly disappeared. There will be much weeping and sorrow, when the day ends and the loved ones have not returned, the scope of this change will begin to set in.
Markets will crash, businesses will lose employees and struggle to stay afloat and millions of home mortgages and other financial obligations will be forfeited. There will be a tremendous amount of money left in banks and investment portfolios that will have no one to claim them and unattended homes will be ransacked throughout cities.
Drawing Conclusions
Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
The current endless talk of alien civilizations will lead many to conclude that some other race has finally affected our planet. Thoughts of people taken by an alien civilizations will leave many open to any form of charade that Satan or a demonic spirit may try to perpetuate upon society.
Atheists will probably consider the reality of having millions of christians removed from the earth a good thing, they will think they can finally move forward in a christian-less society.
Many false religions will be left scratching their heads, trying to equate the world events to their own false religious interpretations. There will be many jews who were looking for the Messiah, realize they missed Him all along. There is debate as to whether the 144,000 Jews in Revelation represent a literal number of converted Jews who spread throughout the Earth sharing the gospel or if these “servants of God”, are representative of all God’s redeemed people and the number is symbolic for all peoples across the Earth who come to Christ during the tribulation.
Revelation 7:4 “And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:”
Regardless of what the 144,000 represents, no doubt there will be people who will finally accept Christ during the Tribulation period.
Jesus’ Warning
If there was ever a portion of scripture more deserving of credit for last days prophecy it’s found in Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24.
Matthew 24:3 “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
This portion of scripture details a series of warnings for people who are experiencing the Great Tribulation. The first eleven verses detail the beginning of sorrows. This portion of Jesus’ warning can relate to the period of time leading up to the 7 year period of time when great sorrow is poured out upon the Earth. Many mid-tribulation proponents believe the church will be present upon the earth during this first 3 1/2 year period of time. It’s at the 3 1/2 year mark when God’s wrath begins to be poured out upon the earth when the church will be removed from the wrath of God coming upon the world.
Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
I’ve always believed in a pre-tribulation rapture but the further along we get in the timeline of this world, the more it resembles Jesus’ warning of the tribulation we are seeing today.
Matthew 24:4-8 “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
These are all occurring in the world right now. If the indication is these will get worse, then the world hasn’t seen anything yet.
After these “birth pangs”, comes the point of wrath unlike anything experienced in world history. At the 3 1/2 year mark of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will enter the temple and profane God’s name.
Matthew 24:15-17 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
After this momentous occasion, death, mayhem, attacks, famine, and every form of wrath will befall the world, needless to say you will not want to be here when it does.
The events that will unfold following the rapture of the church will be a final opportunity for many to finally recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior of all. The false believers in churches today will be left behind to regret their lack of sincerity in their faith.
Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
For those who must endure the time of wrath, there will be unprecedented suffering. Those who finally make a decision for Christ will be killed for their faith. Martyrdom is not a new concept, from the inception of the church people have been murdered for their belief in Jesus. I do find it interesting that beheadings are prominent in the last days and the ones who are primarily doing beheadings today are muslims.
If your not ready or you’ve only been going through the motions, I encourage you to get serious about your faith in God. I believe the time is very soon for these events to take place.
Regardless of how the events unfold, the rapture will have worldwide repercussions. The world will see how much the righteous have been holding back evil. If you think the world is difficult today, wait until God’s people have been fully removed from it.
Matthew 24:13 “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
If you’re reading this and the rapture has already occurred, your looking for answers. The answers have always been contained in God’s Word. If you don’t have a Bible, look for a home that has been vacated, you’ll probably find one there and then pray for God to forgive you for your unbelief. The Lord will draw near to you if you come with a humble and contrite spirit before Him. Learn to walk in righteousness. Pray continually. Seek out other believers and encourage one another while you still have the freedom to do so.
You will suffer great trial but the trial will be worth it. Hold on…your redemption draws nigh.
U.T. 