This article is about the Second Coming not the Rapture. There are no signs of the Rapture. It can happen at any time and without notice. But there are signs of the Second Coming and the church is told to watch for those signs.
Many prophecy writers, including myself, believe the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation period. In that case, the Rapture will occur before the Second Coming because Jesus won’t come back to this earth (He will remain in the air at the Rapture) until the end of the Tribulation Period. So, if the Second Coming is close, the Rapture is even closer.
Most of those who watch the signs think the Second Coming is very close. They know that Jesus said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matt. 24:36). But they also know that Jesus said, “When ye shall see all these things (the signs), know that it is near, even at the doors” (Matt. 24:33). And they also know that the Bible says we can see the day approaching (Heb. 10:25). So even though no human being knows the day and hour, prophecy teachers are not contradicting the Scriptures when they say the Second Coming is close.
They believe it is close because God has revealed timing clues along with some prophecies. For example, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38-39), God said it will happen in the latter days (Ezek. 38:16) and latter years (Ezek. 38:8). But in order for this prophecy to be fulfilled, God said Israel will be back in the land; Israel will have cattle and goods; Israel will be opposed by Russia, Iran, Turkey and others, etc. These pre- conditions are in existence today and they seem to be screaming out that the latter days and latter years have arrived.
Another example involves one of the verses mentioned above (Matt. 24:33). Jesus said His Second Coming will be close when all of the signs are apparent in the same generation. Between 70 A.D. and 1948 the nation of Israel didn’t exist so it was impossible to see all of the signs during that span. Between 1948 and 1967 Israel didn’t control the Temple Mount so again it was impossible to see all of the signs. But all of the signs appear to be coming on the scene now. Some prophecy teachers call the appearance of all of the signs a convergence of the signs. Some even think this convergence of the signs is more important than any other sign including the return of Israel. Anyway, this convergence of all of the signs in the same generation is a timing clue signifying that the Second Coming is near.
Bible prophecy requires the establishment of a New World Order (world government) during the Tribulation period and before the Second Coming (Rev. 13:7). In 2009, Henry Kissinger said, “Pres. Obama has been chosen to bring in the New World Order” and we are now a little more than two years from the end of his second term. In 2013, Vice-Pres. Biden said, “The affirmative task we (the U.S.) have now is to actually create a New World Order.” In 2014, he said, “I believe we and mainly you (the 2014 Air Force graduating class) have an incredible opportunity to lead in shaping a New World Order.” And in 2014, Pres. Obama talked about a coming “new order based on a different set of principles.” So if our leaders are close to the establishment of a New World Order, the world is close to the Second Coming and even closer to the Rapture of the church.
Bible prophecy requires the establishment of a global religion during the Tribulation period. In Feb. 2014, it was reported that Pope Francis wants to reverse the Protestant Reformation and unite all religions. The Reformation began with a split in the Roman Catholic Church. The recognized beginning of this split occurred on Oct. 31, 1517 when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg. The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation will occur on Oct. 31, 2017. So Pope Francis has established Oct. 31, 2017 as a goal for an anti-Reformation (a reversal of the Reformation by uniting Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Jews into one religion). He may not be able to do it, but again, if the world is close to the establishment of a world religion (in 2017); it is even closer to the Rapture of the church.
Bible prophecy requires the coming Antichrist and his False Prophet to have the ability to identify everyone and to track all of their buying and selling about three and one-half years before the Second Coming (Rev. 13:16-17). Now, it is being reported that Obamacare requires every American to have a National ID card and that the Dept. of Homeland Security will start enforcing this in 2017. In fact, NBC recently predicted that every American will have a RFID implant by 2017. So the appearance of things that will be used after the Rapture (ID cards, chipping people, etc. by 2017) are timing clues that signify that the Rapture is getting close.
The Tribulation period and Second Coming also require the arrival of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rev. 6:1-8) which many believe is the rise of the Antichrist with an increase in war, famine, pestilence and earthquakes (also see Matt. 24:5-7). The Antichrist can’t rise because the church is still here (II Thess. 2:7-8), but this year it has been reported that wars have increased seven years in a row; the price of several foods (pork, beef, chicken, etc.) has reached an all time high and this is just the beginning; drug resistant viruses(pestilences) are spreading around the world, and big earthquakes (those larger than 7.0) have doubled since 1979. How can those who watch not believe that we will soon be going home?
Bible prophecy requires the Antichrist to confirm a Middle East peace treaty that will begin the Tribulation period after the Rapture of the church. There have been many failed attempts at a Middle East peace treaty, but proposals are now being drafted that will ask the UN Security Council to take over the peace process; to set a date for dividing the land of Israel and creating a Palestinian State; and to enforce the UN Security Council actions with international troops. It means the PA is asking the UN Security Council to dictate a solution and send in troops to enforce it.
After the Rapture, there will be a global economic collapse (Rev. 6:5-6) and a recent report by the Bank of International Settlements recently said the entire world is now in a situation of unsustainable debt and more. As the world approaches the Tribulation Period what it does to Israel will come back on it.The U.S. is trying to erase Israel’s borders and for all practical purposes God has allowed America’s borders to become seemingly non-existent. More could be said, but many prophecy writers have good reason to believe that they can see the day approaching. Are you prepared?
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck