Dec 4th 2013
Today, there are several interpretations as to when the coming of our Lord Jesus would be! Some believe in pre-trib rapture while some others see it as an event that will occur after the 7 years of tribulation! In between are those who believe in mid-trib rapture! The focus of this article is to use Biblical patterns, insights , logic and scripture to come to a conclusion on when the rapture would be.
At the end of the day, it should not matter when the rapture actually happens; we should be eagerly awaiting the return of our King always and be prepared for any situation and be ready to live for Him and serve Him at all costs!!
Understanding scripture:
God’s children are protected from judgments on the world!
In scripture we see that generally { with a few exceptions} God’s children were protected when there was judgment on nations due to their sin! From the times of Noah were his family was saved to Israel being protected from the plagues in Egypt, we can safely say that when God judges sin, His children if living righteous are protected!
The Scriptural parallel to this in relation to the end times can be seen in Luke 21 {esp. verse 36}! In this passage we see in detail Jesus describing the great judgments that are to befall the nations. He finishes by saying that we must be watchful in prayer inorder to be protected from those times. This shows that we can be saved from the end time judgments that are about to befall the earth!
God’s children had to face persecution at times!
While scripture is clear on us being safe from God’s judgments, not everyone was spared as they faced persecution and danger for the gospel’s sake. From the prophets to the disciples and to the persecuted church today, many have suffered greatly for the sake of our Lord. The later part of Hebrews 11 testifies to people of faith who had suffered greatly. The parallel to this truth in the end times is in Revelations where many who have been through the great tribulation stand before the throne of God in heaven praising Him. In concluding this thought we can say we have to undergo persecution for the gospels sake sometimes to the point of suffering greatly and losing our own lives!
God is not present where sin is in its fullness!
In Job, we see Satan standing before God in heaven. While it is possible for Satan to be present where God’s presence is, he cannot be in the place where God’s fullness is! Where there is complete light, darkness has no place!! The same is true vice versa. God cannot be in a place where sin has reached its fullness! The first mention of this is in Genesis during Noah’s times; where because of the depraved state of man due to sin, God grieves and says that His Spirit will not always strive with men! It clearly indicates that God was about to remove His Spirit due to the great sin of manikind!! This would mean that in the endtimes siince sin will reach its complete fulness, God’s Spirit and the church cannot be present.
God’s judgments are poured out in direct relation to sin!
God judged nations in the Old Testament when their sin reached its fullness!! We see a scriptural example of this in Genesis 15:16!! This was the common pattern in the Old Testament; Judgment was withheld until the sin of the nations reached its fullness! In the end times with man of sin in power, sin will reach its fullness as never before from the beginning of times, therefore the wrath of God will be poured out like never before {God’s judgments in Revelations}.
Understanding 2 Thessalonians 2!
In reading this passage on the events prior to and surrounding rapture, there might arise some element of confusion. In verse 3 it is clear that the day [rapture] will not come until the antichrist is revealed, which would mean the church would be present when the antichrist is around.
However in verses 6 and 7 Paul says there is some one withholding his [antichrist] coming and unless he [it] is taken out of way, the antichrist will not be revealed!! Many interpret the ‘he’ to be the Holy Spirit which would mean the church will not be present when the antichrist is revealed!
Although the verses seem a contradiction, if properly applied to the appropriate times it can be easily understood! The antichrist will be revealed but not completely when the church is here but when he will reveal himself completely as the son of predition the church should not be present !
The times of the Anti Christ!
During the reign of the Anti Christ three main things will happen! There will be persecution like never before, sin will reach its fullness like never before, and Gods judgments will be poured out on this earth like never before!
From the above mentioned points and using simple logic, during the reign of the Anti Christ, Christians will be persecuted and sin will increase greatly! Sin will reach its fullness with also the full revelation of the Anti Christ simultaneously! God’s Spirit will leave along with the church and God’s wrath would be poured out on the nations to the maximum!!
In concluding this thought we can say, the church will leave at the point the antichrist is revealed in fullness! Judgments would have already begun on the earth when the antichrist begins to rule but it {judgments} would reach its fullness when sin will reach its maximum and satan is revealed in fullness!
We should be on the earth for a period of the antichrist’s reign till he is revealed in fullness, which would mean, we should be prepared to face persecution and also be prepared for some of the trials [judgements] that will come upon the earth!
Where we now and where are are we headed to?
Given the way things have gone on in the world recently, we are on the pathway to the coming of the antichrist! Sin is being encouraged and legalized preparing a pathway to his coming! Christians standing for truth and righteousness are being increasingly seen as hatemongers and insensitive! Laws are being passed to restrict them, which would later lead to hatred turning into violence and arrests and torture, common to the times of the antichrist. The world countries are striving for a unity without God’s help which will prepare the throne for the man of sin to sit on!!
Let us be aware of our times, prepare adequately and eagerly await the coming of our dear LORD!! MARANATHA!!
