At almost every prophecy conference, someone asks, “Will people be saved after the Rapture? The answer to this question depends upon who the people are. Those who didn’t hear the gospel before the Rapture will have the opportunity to accept Christ. But it will be a different matter for those who heard the gospel and didn’t accept Jesus as their Saviour.
Those Who Hear the Gospel for the First Time Will Have a Chance
No one can doubt that multitudes will be saved after the Rapture. The Book of Revelation clearly teaches that God will seal 144,000 children of Israel to preach the gospel and a great multitude which no man can number from all nations, kindreds, people and tongues will make it to heaven (Revelation 7:4-9). It clearly teaches that God will call Two Witnesses to prophesy for 1260 days during the Tribulation Period (Revelation 13:3-12) and an angel will fly through the air preaching the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people (Revelation 14:6). This is what Jesus meant when He said,“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). Multitudes will hear the gospel for the first time and be saved.
Those Who Have Rejected the Gospel Have Reached the End of Their Rope
The Antichrist will come, “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they ALL might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thessalonians 2:9-12). He will have the power of Satan. He will perform false miracles. He will deceive many. The deceived will perish. Why? Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be save.
These will be people who had the great privilege of hearing the truth which is the gospel, but they rejected it. A proper response to the gospel would have resulted in their salvation. But their refusal to love and believe the Word of God and their desire to continue in their sin or unrighteousness will trigger God’s divine retribution. Then, God, not Satan, will send strong delusion upon them so that they will believe a lie and it will be impossible for them to be saved. Most expositors believe this lie will be rumors that the Antichrist is the Messiah. Because they have chosen not to believe the truth that the Christ (Jesus) is the Messiah, God will cause them to believe the untruth that the Antichrist is the Messiah.
OTHER KINDS OF DELUSION
It is difficult for some to believe that God will send strong delusion upon anyone that will result in their not being saved. Some try to weaken this by saying, “It only means that God will “allow” strong delusion. Others try to weaken it by saying, “God won’t do it right away. He will wait until the middle of the Tribulation Period.
God Shut the Door of the Ark
“God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Genesis 6:5). He told Noah to make an ark of gopher wood and Noah did according to all that God told Him to do. After it was built and loaded, God said to Noah,“Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Genesis 7:1). This is very similar to God saying, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43), to God telling John and the Two Witnesses to “Come up hither” (Revelation 4:1; 11:12), and to the voice of the archangel that will call the Church into heaven (I Thessalonians 4:16). So Noah went into the ark. And seven days later, “the Lord shut him in”(Genesis 7:16). Shutting Noah in had the same effect as shutting the lost out. They could have been saved, but they perished because they continued in their sin and didn’t love and believe the Word of God that Noah preached for 120 years.
God Used Lying Spirits and False Prophets to Deceive a King
King Ahab asked his false prophets if he should go to war against Israel. They told him that he would win the war. Then, Ahab consulted with a true prophet named Micaiah, and after some humorous and sarcastic remarks, Micaiah told Ahab a parable. Micaiah said a spirit appeared before the Lord and volunteered to be a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab’s false prophets to persuade him to go to war. Micaiah told Ahab, “The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee” (I Kings 22:23). Ahab rejected the truth that would save him. He believed the lies of his false prophets went to war and was killed.
God Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart
God sent Moses to tell Pharaoh, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1). Pharaoh’s response was to make the life of the Hebrew slaves even harder than it already was. Later, God told Moses to go back to Pharaoh again. God told Moses to “speak all that I command thee,”and He said, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:2-3). Moses went, but He (God) hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them: as the Lord had said” (Exodus 7:13). In response to Pharaoh’s hardened heart, God sent the Ten Plagues.
God Blinded Part of the Jews
The angel Gabriel told Daniel exactly when the Messiah would appear (Daniel 9:24-27). But the Jews ignored what the Word of God says about this. When Jesus made His Triumphal Entry He said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation” (Luke 19:42-44). He was saying Israel could have peace and be saved if they would have only believed, but now many of the Jews will be blinded, multitudes will be killed and Israel will be destroyed because of their unbelief. It’s a dangerous thing to hear the Scriptures and not believe (John 9:39).
Jesus Spoke in Parables so Some Wouldn’t Understand
Jesus often used parables to teach great truths. His parables usually enhanced people’s understanding, but there were times when what He was talking about was not always clear. The Parable of the Sower is a well-known example. After He told it, He went off to be by Himself: “And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them”(Mark 4:10-12). He spoke in parables so those who were indifferent or opposed to the Word of God wouldn’t understand. If a person wants to reject or not believe the Word of God, that person can do it. God won’t force it on anyone. It’s a fact that people can reach a point of no return with God. Those who are not saved when they die have reached such a point. If they have heard the Word of God when the Rapture occurs and they have not accepted Jesus strong delusion will come upon them. They will not be converted. Their sins will not be forgiven.
Five of the Virgins Were Shut Out
In the Parable of The Ten Virgins, all ten heard that the bridegroom was coming and all ten went forth to meet Him. The wise took lamps and prepared for His coming by taking extra oil (by getting saved and receiving the Holy Spirit). The foolish took lamps, but they didn’t prepare (they may have professed Christ because they had lamps, but they didn’t get saved because they took no oil which means they had not received the Holy Spirit). When the Lord tarried, they all went to sleep. But at midnight someone shouted,“Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). The wise virgins that prepared by taking oil (receiving the Holy Spirit) entered the kingdom. But the foolish virgins that didn’t prepare went to look for oil and while they were gone the bridegroom came and “the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10). They said, “Lord, Lord open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not” (Matthew 25:11-12). They had heard that the bridegroom was coming and they called Him Lord, but they didn’t prepare.
Don’t Take a Chance
Isaiah clearly said people should seek the Lord while He may be found. Paul plainly said there have been times when God gave people up to a reprobate mind. Jesus left no doubt that the way of salvation is narrow and the lukewarm will be spewed out.
v Seek ye the LORD while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6).
v God gave them over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28).
v Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it(Matthew 7:14).
v Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16).
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck
