With so many voices in our world bombarding our ears with bible messages, how can we know what is real and what is only speculation? We want to believe the truth. No one says to another "Tell me lies, that I may believe and be led astray". That would be not only crazy talk but detrimental to our spiritual health. God says in His word " My people perish from lack of knowledge". (Hosea 4:6). Who are God's people? The Jews, the Church? Who is God talking about? John 15:5 says "I (meaning Jesus) am the vine, and you (meaning His followers both Jew and Gentile) are the branches". - emphasis, mine. In Ephesians 2:19 Paul states this "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God". That's pretty clear that anyone whether a Jew or Gentile, we who are Christ followers are ALL members of God's household. We are HIS PEOPLE. So why are We (His people perishing from lack of knowledge?" God gives us all that we need in His word. It's up to us to study His word so that we DO NOT perish. Let's get started.
Today with all that we are seeing on the news and in our cities, it's hard to believe that the world is simply going to continue as it has for millennia. Up until the late 1800s, early 1900s, people moved around on foot or by horse and buggy. Just in the last 100 years or so, we now have airplanes, rockets, weapons, telecommunications, satellites that have multiple functionalities, AI and the list goes on and on. You would think with all of this at our disposal, we would be smarter about what God's word says. If you don't have a bible, there are apps for your phone, online websites, churches, small home groups; basically a myriad of avenues to study the word of God. Even in countries where bibles are banned, missionaries still put their lives on the line for the Gospel's sake to get the word out to the people. When we stand before a Holy God, what is going to be our excuse for not utilizing one of the areas, available to us, that helps us get to know our Creator?
As of late, there has been much talk and speculation about people going missing from the earth in the blink of an eye, referred to as the Rapture of the Church. Even within the house of God, there are disputes about this event. It's so elusive, and that in and of itself makes it even more intriguing and interesting to study.
So what DOES the word of God actually say about such an event? Lets read and find out for ourselves.
Matthew 25: 1-13 Records Jesus's words with a parable (or story) about ten virgins. Virgins in this story represent Christ followers, not the general populace.
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Here, Jesus is implying that He (the Son of Man) is coming quickly. So quickly in fact that that even some of His professing followers did not see Him coming. He says that we all "fell asleep". Sleepy Christians is not a good thing as we just read. We were not diligently studying His word daily, because if we were, we would have know what signs to look for and we would have seen Him coming and been ready. Now the story does state that some of the virgins woke up as Jesus was coming near. Some of us who have been busy about our lives woke up to the fact that what we previously learned about Jesus's coming is all starting to converge and we recognized the time we are living in, therefore we "woke up and trimmed our lamps". Matthew 5:16 says this about lights "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. So it would appear that some of us, realized how late the hour is and woke up and did those things (good works) that let our light shine for all to see, giving glory to God; while others did not recognize the time until it was too late and the door was shut for them to enter in. So what happens to the other five virgins who did not ready themselves for the Bridegroom's coming? They (though they professed Christ but did not have Christ in their hearts) were left to go through the Tribulation with the rest of those who rejected the Gospel of Christ. But old on a minute here....They were among the Christ followers so why didn't they ALL enter in with Christ? Not so. 2 Timothy 1-5 explains why. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power". Now you might say "Yeah, but that passage is clearly talking about the world and unbelievers, not the body of Christ. That would make sense if it weren't for the fact that Paul was writing to Timothy who head of the Church, not the world. Paul in 1 Corinthians 1-5 called the Corinthian church out on their sin, saying that it was so grievous, that even the gentiles didn't commit such acts. "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you". That's pretty amazing that after hearing the word of God preached to them and accepting the free gift of salvation and professing to be Christ followers, they would do....THAT! Whaaaaat? So if the Corinthians are willing to profess Christ and then go out and do evil things that even the world is not doing, could it be then that the five virgins who did not enter in with Christ could be professing Christ and yet looking like the world, and that is why Jesus say's "I never knew you"? - ABSOLUTELY!
So if they professing Christ did not get to enter into the wedding feast, how should we as Christ followers behave then? Well, 2 Peter 1:5-11 gives us a clear indication about how we ought to behave when He said this to the church... "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control, perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". Okay, okay, you got me! There's things we all need to work on. What do I need to know next. Glad you asked. Because God's judgement is coming and it's going to start with us! You're kidding, right? Judgement on God's people? Lets find out together. 1 Peter 4:17 tell us this..."For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God"? Sure Glad you told me that, so now I know how to be one of the wise virgins.
Now that we have a firm foundation on what God has to say about being His own, what next? How do we know for sure that the rapture of the church is real and that it's going to happen in our lifetime. Everyone knows that the world has been going for millennia so therefore, it must continue to keep going for millennia more, right? Let's find out...
Jesus's own disciples were asking Him that very question about the end of time and what to be on the lookout for. And his response.....wait for it..."And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away".(Luke 21:29-33) BAM!
We know form studying scripture that Israel is referred to as the "fig tree". So translated it would read: The generation (that's us) that see's (witnesses) the fig tree (that's Israel, not any other nation- that was God's chosen nation, Jesus was a Jew) shoot forth (become a nation) is the generation (not one generation, or a generation-the means THE) to see the END (that means the end, lights out, game over) of all things (not certain things or some things). When God say's all, He means ALL - translation and emphasis - mine
Okay, so now we know that we ARE that generation that will witness the end of all things, including the second coming of Christ. But how long is a generation? It could be interpreted in different ways, so how can we be sure? Let's see what God's word calls a generation. Psalm 90:10 says this about how long a generation is: "The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away". Wow. So lets unpack this: God is telling us that a generation is 70 years, 80 if we are strong enough to endure. Well, if we are the generation who saw the birth of the Israel (the fig tree), then how much time do we have left? Israel became a nation on May 14th, 1948. We are now in 2024. That's 76 years that they've been a nation. Well, that leaves only 4 years. How do we know that God is serious here and not just saying that? Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it". Well then, now we know that God is NOT a liar and that He means what He says, so therefore we can be sure that we are without a doubt the generation that will see the end of all things, just as God has said in His word.
What about that end piece? The part about "for it is soon cut off and we fly away"? What is that all about? When the bible talks about those who died, it refers to them as "fallen asleep", not flying away. They fall asleep (die) and are buried in the earth, waiting for Christ to return and resurrect them. They do not "fly away". That's a whole other group of believers that we will cover later.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 says this: "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep". It is evident that this verse is talking about those who have died, saying that we (those who are part of the rapture of believers) will not proceed those (believers in Christ) who have died.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17 says this: " But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Did you catch that? Those who are dead (sleeping in Christ) will rise first, so another words, we will not proceed those who have fallen asleep as far as getting our spiritual, eternal bodies.
So when will this be?
Answer: Now, today, tomorrow, next week...basically at any moment. It's immanent. Here's what the bible says about that as far as timing goes.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 says this: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night". No thief in the night is going to walk slowly, making noise, so that you can hear him coming a mile away and call for help. He'd be apprehended before he gets to the front door and the whole thing would be a bust. Instead, he's going to be stealthy, and approach with rapid decent, and no one will ever see him coming. That is how the LORD Himself says He will come at the time of the rapture. There is no warning bell that will sound, no bugle call to attention. We are told to be ready at all times for His coming.
Matthew 24:36-44 puts it like this: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh".
Okay so what do we have here?
1. No one know the exact day or hour but God Himself (though we are to know the season of Christ's return and be watching for Him).
2. The world will be carrying on with it's day to day business just as it always has been since it's creation (so business as usual - no warning).
3. Two will be together an one will be taken and one left behind (this shows that not everyone we come in contact with is a Christ follower - we still are in the world (not of the world) and are carrying on business with our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc. when the rapture happens are we are "taken").
And if that's not enough to convince you, here's one more...
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed". Alrighty then. That's enough to convince me that God is going to send His son Jesus to catch up His followers (those who have truly accepted Jesus as LORD over all of their life and bear good fruit as a witness to that fact), at any moment in time, in a fraction of a second, we will be here in our fleshly bodies on earth, and in the next moment, we will be changed into our glorified body (like Christ) and meet Him (and those who have fallen asleep in Christ and preceded us) in the air.
Oohhhh. I see....so we "fly away"? YEP! Jesus meets us in the clouds, not on earth; that's going to happen at the second coming of Christ when we come back to earth with the LORD. We fly up to meet Him. Pretty cool, don't ya think?
But what about all this Tribulation talk that happening now? Some people are saying that rapture of the church happens after the seven year tribulation. Ask yourself why the LORD (who died by crucifixion - a most gruesome and painful death, by the way), would then require us as believers to go through the most horrific time the earth will ever experience, along side the non-believers, murders, adulterers, the sexually perverted, etc. Makes absolutely zero sense, don't ya think? That would be like Jesus saying "Yeah, I died for your sins, but...it wasn't enough for you to enter My kingdom, so therefore, I've got some bad news for ya...You're going to have to suffer immensely during the most horrific time to purify yourself before I'll let ya in". It's ludicrous! That's not at all what the bible says about that matter. In fact it's the EXACT OPPOSITE.
Revelation 3:10 says this: "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth". The LORD has made it abundantly clear that we are NOT going to go through the tribulation. He will KEEP (in Heaven) us (Christ followers who have kept His word - the bible in their hearts) FROM (not going through) the hour of temptation (trial - tribulation) that SHALL (definitely will) come upon ALL (all of those who have rejected Christ) that dwell upon the earth.
In closing: The hour is nigh. It's almost show time! It's time to wake up, trim our lamps, get cleaned up by confessing our sins and asking God's forgiveness and patiently watching and waiting for our LORD's soon return. 2 Timothy 4: 7-9 talks about a crown (reward) for those of us who long for His return. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing". So we can know:
1. There is a reward (the crown of righteousness - a tangible thing) for those of us who have kept the faith (our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior).
2. It will be given to me, and you, and anyone who has loved (waiting patiently, longed for, watched for) His appearing (in the clouds at the time of the rapture).
So if there is a reward, there must be a reward ceremony, right? RIGHT YOU ARE! It's called the Bema Seat Judgement where we all stand before Christ and rewarded for the things we have done here on earth. This is where we will receive that crown of righteousness and other rewards to enjoy while we are in Heaven. Since Heaven is an eternal place, our rewards, therefore must also be eternal rewards. This is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5: 9-10. In which is says: "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad".
So you're saying that as a Christ follower, who is keeping the faith, and waiting and longing for the LORD's soon return, I will not only not go through the tribulation and all that bad stuff, but I will get a reward as well?
YES and most definitely YES.
If that doesn't convince you with enough evidence, I don't know what will. Come Lord Jesus, Come!
P.S. If you find yourself reading this and millions of people have gone missing all over the world. Please know that your loved one's are safe in the arms of Jesus. Satan (through the working of others) will try to convince you that aliens removed us from the planet because we were toxic to others or needed rehabilitation, or some crazy cocked up story like that. Do not believe it. IT IS A LIE! Read the book of Revelation. It spells out all that is coming upon the earth.
If you want to make sure that you too will go to Heaven to be with with Jesus forever here's how you can do that:
Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved".
Think of it this way:
A. ADMIT that you have sinned against God and ask His forgiveness.
B. BELIEVE in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised from the grave by the Holy Spirit of God
C. CONFESS with your mouth that Jesus Christ IS LORD.
AND...YOU WILL BE SAVED! SEALED WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
Remember this: Philippians 2:10-11 says this:
"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". That means there is a time coming where EVERYONE, whether alive or dead, human, or angel will confess that Jesus is LORD. That means YOU and ME! So why not confess Him now, BEFORE He comes, so that your salvation is secure in Christ Jesus.
Grace and Peace to you all.
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