The Rapture Paradox
Author’s note: This commentary was first presented more than a decade and a half ago. Today we have witnessed the fruition of the wickedness radical Islam has perpetrated. America now suffers from increasing invasiveness of this satanic horde.
The Rapture of the Church will instantaneously bring all of evil’s terror to those left behind when all believers in Jesus Christ leave planet Earth. We must, therefore, witness to the saving message of Christ as never before while we now sense that moment of Rapture approaching.
The Rapture Paradox
A woman from the Netherlands who is a frequent visitor to www.raptureready.com proposed we address a troubling thought she lives with as a Christian. It is a paradox I believe many Christians who look for Christ to come for believers in the Rapture have considered, at least to some extent.
The writer sent an article about the growing Islamic population in Europe and the threat Islam represents not only to Israel, but to the rest of the world that is not Islamic. She recognizes that Israel being at the center of world controversy indicates the lateness of the hour, prophetically speaking. She puts it this way in her email:
Every time I see these articles, I am on one hand horrified at the treatment of the Jewish people but on the other hand full of anticipation as I know that with each event that pushes the Jewish people back to their homeland of Israel, the closer the rapture is for Christians. I do feel badly that I am excited for the rapture though as I know what that means for those that will be left behind… Should we be as excited as I am to know that we can (I believe “will”) be raptured any second? I know this gives me an urgency to share the gospel with friends and neighbors, but I still always feel guilty for the anticipation and excitement I get when I see the current events played out daily.
This dichotomy within the believer’s thinking is, I believe, not unusual for those who truly look for Christ’s any-moment call as prophesied by Paul the apostle:
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).
Christians who believe the pre-Tribulation Rapture is truth from God’s Word, yearn—without need to apologize—for the blessed hope that is found in Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). At the same time, they know that when that call from their Lord comes, those left behind will soon endure a time of horror, which the Lord Himself foretold:
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
Those left behind will, the Christian knows, include perhaps close friends and beloved family members. So, the paradox of wanting the Rapture to take place, and at the same time dreading it for those who will stay on this planet that will endure God’s judgment and wrath is, to some, troubling.
The article this writer sent with her email encapsulates just a small part of the building evil that the Lord of heaven will judge with His righteous wrath. The article points to the satanic rage represented within Islam, the number-one Israel-hating entity on the planet. Hatred for Israel and the desire of the international community to force the Jewish state to divide the tiny portion of its God-given land in order to come up with a formula for peace with its Islamic neighbors will lead to Armageddon, God’s Word says:
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:2).
The article the emailer sent contained a speech by Geert Wilders, a Dutch member of Parliament for the Netherlands. He synopsized with stunning description how Israel’s Islamic enemy is systematically infecting Europe, thus threatening world stability—or what little of it that remains.
Wilders, who is chairman of the Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, spoke at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem. He announced that Europe is in dire straits as it undergoes Islamization. America and the world, he warned, face the same fate as Europe if the threat isn’t confronted and defeated everywhere it exists.
Wilders said that entire city sections throughout Europe are taken over by Islamists one street at a time. Local governments and police forces are often so intimidated that they dare not go into those areas to govern. Women, treated no better than slaves, according to the speaker, are covered from head to toe in tent-like attire. Sharia law takes precedence, and women in sections of the cities not part of the Islamic communities hear, more and more, hate-filled shouts of “Whore!” from those of the Islamic populations.
Wilders said in his speech:
Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run from the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II…. Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. (http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wilders.asp)
Israel and its being targeted for extinction is the sure sign that the Tribulation is in view. The Rapture of the Church, therefore, must be very near to occurring indeed. That being the obvious case, what should the Christian’s foremost priority be? The answer is that it should not be considered a paradox for the believer, but an exhortation, a call to duty.
There is nothing anyone can do to hurry or delay the coming of Christ for His saints in the Rapture. The timing of that great event is out of our hands. Therefore, longing for the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) to rescue us from the terrible time to come (Revelation 3:10) doesn’t conflict with our concern and compassion for those who will be left behind if they don’t come to Christ for salvation. It is time for those who follow Christ to recognize the lateness of the prophetic hour, witness to those around us of the truth that Jesus Christ is the one and only Way to salvation, and live in such a way that we can earn our Lord’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
—Terry
Why the Sudden Urgency?
Reports are rampant across social media and elsewhere. A total of thirty-three countries are now urging citizens to stockpile food, water, and other essential supplies for at least 3 days. And it’s not as though these countries are in close proximity to each other; the warnings stretch across the planet, touching every continent from Canada to Australia.
The Pentagon is warning its major military bases to prepare for 90 days without power or outside supply chains of necessities.
Why the sudden urgency from so many governments across the planet? A war would have to be quite deadly and widespread to cause dire conditions in so many diverse locations across the globe. If it’s a warning of dire economic conditions, the depression would drastically alter life everywhere.
What might these things mean in light of Bible prophecy?
Prophetic Implications
The catastrophes that could cause such widespread disruption reflect biblical prophecies of the Day of the Lord, which will begin with “sudden destruction” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). Disasters that could disrupt communication and life on military bases for three months resemble life on Earth as depicted in Revelation 6, after we are in Heaven watching Jesus open the seals (Revelation 5).
If the warnings point to the possibility of widespread nuclear war, that speaks to the second seal, when the rider on the red horse takes “peace from the earth” (Revelation 6:3-4). Wars with an enormously high death count are coming after the Rapture, although we may see deadly wars in the meantime.
Warnings about severe future food shortages abound and are reminiscent of the third seal (Revelation 6:5-6). We may see hard times before our departure, but the widespread nature of the warnings signifies Day of the Lord conditions. In the meantime, we prepare as the Lord leads, not out of fear.
In Matthew 24:36-39, the Lord warned that a sense of normality would prevail before the beginning of His wrath upon the earth. The current warnings of chaotic life throughout the world will surely ring true in the future, but a time of relative calm will precede the outbreak of the Lord’s wrath.
It will resemble the calm before a severe storm. Whether it’s real or imagined, a sense of normality will emerge before the events of Revelation 6 suddenly begin. The warnings point us to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing to take us home. People will imagine that they live in a time of peace and security, but like a “thief in the night,” the Lord will suddenly intervene, and the unbelieving masses will feel His fury. The deadliest wars and dire economic conditions will ensue after the Day of the Lord begins, not before.
What Might Be the Purpose of the Warnings?
Could deceptive motives lie behind the dire warnings? Please know I am speculating a bit here, but it seems strange to me that so many countries are issuing the same warnings with almost identical wording. We saw this in the buildup to the draconian precautions for COVID; now we are seeing it again.
During the COVID era, those warnings sparked fear worldwide as people wore masks, kept six feet away from others in public, closed stores, and stayed home. The alarms altered life for billions of people.
Similarly, many world governments are now stoking fear with warnings of dreadful conditions. Why? Might it be another way to eventually control people with fear, just as they did in the past?
Another possibility is that, along with the elite who are building bunkers, many world leaders recognize that something extraordinary and disastrous is coming in the near future, and they want to be in a place where they can control the narrative when it happens.
Satan is well aware of all the signs pointing to the nearness of the Rapture. Along with the above possibilities, I believe the warnings are his advanced preparation to provide plausible explanations for the disappearance of so many people.
A Life-Changing Event Lies Ahead
A climactic earth-shattering event lies in the world’s future: namely the Rapture. The Lord has given us the most telling sign that we live in the last days: Israel’s miraculous appearance as a nation in 1948, which fulfilled Bible prophecy! Right now, we see a myriad of signs pointing to the nearness of the seven-year Tribulation.
We don’t know what lies ahead for us as believers in the immediate future. Perhaps we will endure difficult times because of warfare and shortages. Perhaps the Rapture will happen very soon.
However, I know two things with absolute certainty based on the Word of God.
First, horrific wars, devastating earthquakes, and deadly famines will happen right after the Rapture. What we see now are precursors – God’s warnings of what lies ahead for the planet – so people look for answers in Scripture and turn to Him. Governments worldwide are imitating His alarm bells, so people look to them for answers after the Rapture occurs.
Second, we live in the final moments before Jesus appears to take us home to the place He’s preparing for us. I am amazed this hasn’t already happened, but I realize it’s all because of the Lord’s restraining hand. But with such widespread lawlessness and support for all kinds of wickedness, now quite evident across America, how much longer can it be until the Lord says “enough,” and intervenes by first taking us home?
It’s our blessed hope, revealed throughout the New Testament, that enables us to endure all that this world throws at us. We know a glorious day lies ahead, one that could very well start at any moment. And I pray it happens soon!
Maranatha!!! Come soon, Lord Jesus!!
-Jonathan