The Rapture is our blessed hope. The world will soon face the most horrendous judgments that have ever plagued the world, but Christians will be safe with Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
I don’t understand exactly how God will do this, but I have no doubt He will. It’s the same faith with which I view all of Scripture. I may not understand how God created everything, but I have no doubt that He did.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:1-3).
By faith, I believe that God spoke, and the universe was created. I also believe that prophecy is being fulfilled quickly, and I believe the Rapture will happen soon.
What will happen after the Rapture? First, let’s look at what will happen on Earth. There will be chaos. People who do important jobs will suddenly be missing. Waitresses, policemen, doctors, pilots, truck drivers, children, and maybe even some politicians will suddenly be gone. People from all walks of life will just disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Nonbelievers and those people who only give lip service to Christ will be left.
True faith in Jesus Christ will decide where you exist after the Rapture. You don’t have to believe in the Rapture to be taken, but you do have to believe in Jesus’ sacrifice for your redemption. There will be many “Christians” who will think, “I should have meant it when I mouthed repentance and asked for forgiveness.”
It’s important to allow God to change you.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
None of us is perfect, and we all have sin in our life. When we truly become a Christian, our sins are forgiven, but our feeling toward our sin should change; we should hate it. Take a hard look at your lifestyle and ask yourself if you are grasping tightly to a favorite sin. If so, you haven’t truly repented.
Up until the Rapture, evil times will come slowly, but after the Rapture, it will no longer be slow. Judgments will begin quickly and be severe. John was given a revelation concerning the end, and beginning with Revelation chapter 6, we are shown pure evil on Earth. Take note that the word “ekklesia” translated “church” occurs 118 times in the New Testament but never in Revelation during the wrath poured out on earth. This indicates that Christians won’t face the Great Tribulation. Praise God!
The seal judgments begin with a rider on a white horse, who might be thought of as a good guy at first. “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2).
This crown is a “stephanos,” which isn’t a king’s crown but a wreath. This man is a poor imitation of Christ… the Anti-Christ. Throughout history, many rulers have appeared who could have been this evil man, but none of the conditions have been in place until now for him to take over the world. Israel is back in their land, and all nations are turning against them. According to Daniel and the seventy weeks prophecy, an evil man will come upon the scene. He will look like a good guy at first, but he will be pure evil.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).
This man will seem to bring peace, but instead, he will make a covenant to allow himself to be the world ruler. Pure evil. More seals will be opened, and each unleashes more evils of war, famine, death, martyrs, and terror. These things are in the world today, but after the Rapture, it will be worse.
Why will it be worse? The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. Right now, while Christians are living in the world, He is restraining the evil.
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
This verse is clearer in a modern translation. “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7, NKJ).
The Holy Spirit is restraining the evil that will permeate the world. The Holy Spirit will still be working on earth, but He won’t be sealed inside those who come to faith. Christians cannot be on earth during the Great Tribulation because when we first truly believe in Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We cannot break that seal, and He will not leave us. The only way for the Restrainer to be taken out of the way is for Christians to be taken Home.
Many will come to faith during the final seven years, but most will be martyred for their faith. Don’t put off your salvation thinking that you’ll have a second chance during the Tribulation.
More and more judgments will be poured out upon the earth. Demons will be unleashed, Satan will have free rein over the earth, and it will be unlike anything ever seen before. Jesus told His disciples about the events leading up to the Great Tribulation, and it looks a lot like life today. There will be wars, famine, pestilences, earthquakes, love will wax cold, and more.
“All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8).
A careful reading of this chapter will make it clear that Jesus wasn’t talking about what Christians would have to endure. The final seven years will be what causes the Jewish people to finally call upon Jesus as their Messiah for help, and He will.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:11-13).
This is Christ. He is crowned with many crowns, and this time the rider is crowned with “diadema,” which is a king’s crown. “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).
Yes, the war is won by the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Still judgment is coming. “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20).
Then comes the thousand years when Christ will reign on the earth.
After the millennium, the final judgment will happen. “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:11-12).
That’s not how you want to be judged. Works cannot save you. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Your good works will not save you from the lake of fire. Thank God for His grace. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
Everybody who chooses to reject Christ will face this eternity. This is what non-believers will face, but what will happen to Christians after the Rapture?
Too many Christians are intimidated by the Book of Revelation, but that’s because they don’t take the time to study. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: or the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:3).
It is a prophecy from God, and therefore can be trusted to be accurate, as long as we don’t confuse God’s words with human thoughts. Jesus begins by giving a prophecy within the prophecy. This concerns the church and the various stages it will go through. This comes in the form of seven letters, which John is to give to seven churches. When read in order, it can be seen that these letters tell the future of the ekklesia; from the letter to Ephesus, the new believers who were on fire for the Lord, to the letter to Laodicea, where Jesus is outside knocking, the history is clear. We are living during the last letter, the one to Laodicea, where Christ isn’t welcome inside.
Doctrines of demons are altering God’s word to the point where sin is accepted and truth is rejected. “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1).
The words “after this” and “hereafter” come from the Greek “meta tauta.” This is a sequential phrase. For example, I went to first grade, meta tauta second grade, meta tauta third grade, etc. We see that after the seven letters, there’s a door opened in heaven, and John (representing Christians) is called to enter. Yep, it’s the Rapture! He’s shown things that will happen meta tauta.
The first thing he saw was a throne. “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:3).
John could only use words to describe the indescribable. I try to imagine what he saw, but I’m limited by my human understanding. Heaven must be amazing.
Then he saw twenty-four elders sitting around the throne. They were clothed in white and had crowns (stephanos) of gold. Isaiah also had a vision of the throne of God (Isaiah chapter 6). He saw seraphim calling Holy, holy, holy but didn’t see the twenty-four elders. There is some debate as to their identity, but since John saw them and Isaiah didn’t, I believe they represent the church.
John saw beasts with wings, full of eyes, saying Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. I long to hear their voices raised in praise of God Almighty. The elders fell down before the throne “…and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:10b-11).
It’s important to understand that Jesus created all things. Then John saw Jesus, the Lamb. “And they sung a new song, saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).
Again, this is evidence that the elders are Christians. We are the ones who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Christians will have our works judged, but not for salvation. Our salvation was sealed the moment we truly believed in Christ, and no amount of works will save us. Our works will earn crowns, and I do want a crown to throw before the throne of God in praise and worship. The Apostle Paul warned about building our life on a foundation that is other than Jesus.
“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
Build your life with gold, silver, and precious stones on the foundation of Christ.
It’s easy to understand from studying Scripture that we are very near to the Rapture. You decide what happens to you after the Rapture. Reject Jesus Christ and face seven years of judgment then eternity in the lake of fire, or surrender your life to Christ and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. I suggest that you put your faith in Jesus today.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).