1 Corinthians 15:52 “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.”

As a youth back in 1982, I remember being told about something called ‘the Rapture.’ Mainly that it would be a time when Christians are ‘snatched away’ in the blink of an eye before the Great Tribulation comes upon the whole world! As a kid, it sounded like a ‘terrifying time’ of having to decide whether a person would take the ‘666 Mark of the Beast’ (accepting that they would go to Hell for all eternity for doing so), or deciding to refuse the Mark of the Beast and willingly getting their heads chopped off (realizing that they would go to Heaven for all eternity instead)!

Revelation 13:16-18 “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.”

It all sounded like some ‘ethereal event’ that would happen way far off into the future, so during my teen and young adult years, I kind of just ‘stored it all away’ and went about my life by starting a family and raising kids. Seeing how the churches we attended throughout those years barely, if ever, spoke on the subject of the Rapture or the Tribulation, which in turn only helped to make it easier to put it all ‘on the back burner,’ if you will. Easier to forget, easier to not watch for the signs, and easier to live a ‘more secular’ kind of life, such as a life of ‘carnality’ with one foot in the church and the other in the world.

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

Only when things ‘started unraveling’ in our family did the topic of the Rapture and the End Times come back into focus again. ‘Focus’ in the form of a vision while yet asleep. It was a Spring morning in 2012 – when ‘sleeping in was the norm’ due to suffering from deep depression – when this ‘vision’ all of a sudden came to me. Just for the record, I have not had a vision before or since this occurrence, and I am also not one to say, “God told me thus and thus” either. All I know is that I had all but forgotten about this subject of the Rapture. Even when this vision manifested, I did not immediately ‘relate it to the Rapture’ until I started subsequently growing in the Lord and learning more about Bible Prophecy. Only then was I able to eventually ‘connect the Biblical dots,’ as it were.

The Vision:

{Out of nowhere, Jesus walked up and took me by the right hand to walk away from the computer screen and to follow Him into a long, dark tunnel. To walk step by step by following the Lord, not being able to see (walking by faith and not by sight) as He was leading me by the right hand through this obscure place. Occasionally, there were shallow water puddles along the way, which made for some discomfort, but still I kept on following Him every step of the way until we came upon some metal doors at the end of the tunnel.

At this juncture, Jesus opened one side of the doors for me so we could step out into the beautiful sunlight of day and onto some fresh green grass, along with the sounds of birds’ cheerfully chirping’ nearby (just as things humming along as business as usual). The Lord then led me a few more steps onto a hill to set our eyes towards the right and onto a ‘golden city,’ which was Jerusalem! Jesus then gestured with His hand towards Jerusalem and said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.”

Luke 13:23-25 “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are.”

At that saying, and for some reason, I looked down upon the valley below that was straight ahead and saw this long, winding road, one that inevitably led to the golden city. For whatever reason, I perceived (by leaning unto my own understanding) that I somehow still had 20-40 years until I would get to the Heavenly Kingdom. Although, before I knew it, I was already standing in front of the ‘city of gold’ before an arched double wooden door! Suddenly, one side of the doors opened up, and something like a ‘huge invisible hand’ seized my entire being! Just as a child who ‘hurriedly snatches up’ its beloved rag doll because it is time to go home, so as by this hand, I was furiously ‘ushered into the narrow door’!

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Once the door slammed shut and I was on the inside, I immediately said, “Whoa!” for it all happened so violently fast! Then there were immediate sounds of ‘fierce pounding’ on the outside of the door (in hindsight, reminiscent of the foolish virgins). Not knowing who or what it was, I just assumed it was the Devil. Then upon turning around, I saw Jesus as God standing on a type of stage or platform up ahead and discerned that He was waiting for me! Instinctively, I ran towards Him, and as soon as I reached the platform on where He was standing, the Lord received me into His loving arms. And while He held me in this long-awaited embrace, it was then that I knew I was ‘Finally Home’!

After what seemed like an unmeasured amount of time, Jesus then took me into a large Banqueting Hall and seated me at one of the many long banqueting tables that were there. Then the Lord hurried off, for He had much to do. Across the table, there was a young lady who resembled my youngest who was so happy to see me. There was also a man coming to sit down next to me who resembled my husband, and there were several others who were coming to sit down and fellowship at this banqueting table as well. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by all of the excitement, and the last thought I remember having as I paused to myself in this vision was, “I am exhausted!” Then, just like that, this ‘spectacular vision’ ended; and truth be told, I have not been able to get it out of my mind ever since!}

Luke 12:37 “Blessed are those servants, whom the LORD when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”

Luke 12:37 Commentaries: (biblehub.com)

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Shall make them sit … – Shall place them at his table and feast them. This evidently means that if we are faithful to Christ and are ready to meet him when he returns, he will receive us into heaven – will admit us to all its blessings, and make us happy there – as if “he” should serve us and minister to our wants. It will be as if a master, instead of sitting down at the table “himself,” should place his faithful “servants” there, and be himself the servant. This shows the exceeding kindness and condescension of our Lord. For “us” poor and guilty sinners, he denied himself, took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7), and ministered to our wants. In our nature, he has worked out salvation, and he has done it in one of the humblest conditions of the children of men. How should our bosoms burn with gratitude to him, and how should “we” be willing to serve one another! See the notes at John 13:1-17. – Source

There is soon coming a day when we shall see Jesus face to face and look into His wonderful eyes and feel His loving hands wipe away every tear from our crying eyes. Are you ready for that day? Are you waiting and watching for His soon return? Luke 12 says blessed are those who will be found watching, because the Lord will gird himself and make them to sit down to dine, and He will come and serve them! Oh, what a glorious day that will be when our Jesus we shall finally see!

Isaiah 25:8-9 “He will swallow up death in victory; and the LORD God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Until next time… Maranatha!

JESUS = THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE!

Jesus Will Come!

Candy Austin is an Ambassador for Christ/Freelance ASL Interpreter/Writer, just passing through on this Narrow Path with her Beloved Husband and Best Friend Doug, along with their 2 fur baby cats Harley (12) and Dallas (9). (Instagram: kingdomofheavenisathand21)

Looking around the world today, anyone who has studied Bible Prophecy would say we are definitely at the end of this age. Changes have taken place that are being blamed on a “pandemic” that are really a prelude to the one-world government, one-world currency, new world order, and the introduction of the ultimate antichrist. We are not in the tribulation 7-year period yet, but it’s just a step away. (any emphasis mine)

The first step that will happen is the harpazo, Rapture, or “taking up” of all true believers to meet Jesus in the air. To refresh our minds about this process, we need to re-visit 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.

First, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17: “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers [and sisters], about those who are asleep [have died], that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the Trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 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.” (ESV)

One point here: this is not the second coming for the Lord to put down the “rebellion” and to rule from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. What is described above is the removal of all believers, not any certain organized evangelical or other religion, from the earth to avoid the coming wrath. That is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 and Revelation 3:10, as three promises of the Father to keep us from that 7-year tribulation.

Also, all who have died since Calvary, who received and accepted Jesus as their Savior, will be with Him in the air. Their human remains, no matter how small, will rise up to meet their spirits, and they will receive a new forever immortal body. Those who are alive at the calling up will be transformed into their forever bodies on the way up to meet Jesus.

How long will all this take?

We’re given this answer in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. “Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet [of God] will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”

The term “twinkling of an eye” has been calculated by people definitely more knowledgeable than I, as considerably less than one second. It’s the time that it takes for light to enter the eye and reach the back of the eye. That’s faster than a “blink.” Anyway, some would say this is impossible, but we’re talking about our Creator, and all things are possible with Him.

Luke 21:25-26 states, “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

This world is being programmed for the “reset” and takeover by the new world order. It is satanically inspired, as the Corona Virus was not an overnight phenomenon. There is documentation available that shows this concept has been planned for at least the last decade. Timing and propaganda were key factors, and most of our so-called news networks put out what the liberal left tells them.

Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and others told us about false prophets and antichrists being here in the last days. Fact is, they were present in their day as well, but the atmosphere of today’s world has allowed them to thrive. Worship of Satan has been brought out into the open, mostly over the last decade. In numerous places, there are even “churches” of Satan; talk about a misnomer! Paul tells about a “deluding influence” in 2 Thessalonians 2, and it’s obvious that a degree of it is here right now.

For those who are believers in our Lord and Savior, we are concerned about all the evil influence that is spreading worldwide, but we should not be in total fear or despair. In fact, as Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Every sign and every attitude given has gone beyond the “begin” phase. Weather patterns, plagues of locusts over a large area, worldwide pandemic, people hating anything to do with Jesus, and so-called evangelical churches changing God’s word to fit today’s activities that God called abominations, are now common occurrences. Paul spoke of people being lovers of self, proud, arrogant, abusive and many other negative traits that we see all around us.

Whatever are we to do? How about Isaiah 41:10; “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

It’s natural to feel dismayed by all the negativity around us, but inside, we should actually be getting excited. Our Jesus is going to call soon, and all who have truly called on Him to be their Savior will be taken away from all this nonsense. We don’t know the exact day or hour, or even minute, but as it is, He could be here any second now. Don’t forget the speed of “twinkling of an eye.”

Those who have Jesus right now will be taken. Those who wait until the Rapture takes place will enter the tribulation. From the Bible’s description of that time, it will be worse than any other time this earth has experienced.

Sadly, it is estimated that only about 10% of the total world’s population will be raptured. Only about 1% to 2% of the Jewish people are Messianic and will miss the Wrath Period. Join the “limited” total, and be assured a place with the Savior. See Romans 10:9-13 for the process.

No matter what, no one should want to stay and try to accept Jesus later. The cost will be martyrdom in very unpleasant ways.

He’s waiting for your call but won’t wait much longer. This would be the absolute most important decision you will ever make. Call out today, and He promises He will accept all who truly call on Him (Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13).

Maranatha!

huebshman46@gmail.com