In our culture, it’s become the proverbial fifth wheel of holidays.

Really, we don’t even celebrate it anymore. It used to be that we would pause for much of the day—to feast, spend time with our families, and, yes, to watch football … but, most importantly, to worship and give thanks.

But sadly, those days are gone. Football is on TV the whole day now, but there’s no reason to stay at home. The stores are open in full swing! Black Friday now begins on, well … Thursday! And this day—once very meaningful—is now all but invisible.

I’m referring, of course, to Thanksgiving Day.[i] It happens to be my favorite holiday! Oh, I know I’m in the minority. Try to find a church that has a service on Thanksgiving morning these days—or even on Thanksgiving Eve! That’s rarer than a drumstick an hour after the turkey dinner.

You don’t have to go to church to give thanks. Thanksgiving is also a day for families, and that’s a good thing, too. In fact, I rejoice that anyone is just taking time—even by themselves—to pause, give God thanks and ponder the significance of this special day.

But you won’t find many signs of it—unless you’re really looking hard. You might notice more cars on the road that Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving. You might see a little church somewhere with the lights on. And you’ll know it’s getting really close when you can smell the turkey.

Other than that—no signs. But when you perceive the multitude of signs for Christmas … you know that Thanksgiving must surely be close at hand!

* * * * *

“The signs of the times” (Matt. 16:3) pointing to Christ’s second coming in glory are forming all around us. Once the tribulation begins, the signs will become physical—palpable.

The rapture, however, will not be preceded by any signs. It will take place “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52). This will all transpire so quickly, there will be no time to react—not even to think! “The dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16) before anyone even knows what is happening.

I credit Dr. Thomas Ice for teaching me through the years that the word watch is usually connected to the final aspect of Christ’s second coming—His return in glory (see Matt. 24:42, 43; 25:13; Mark 13:34-37; Luke 12:37, 39; Rev. 16:15). By contrast, when the Scriptures instruct us about the first aspect of His second coming, the rapture, they normally use the language of waiting (see 1 Thess. 1:10).[ii]

One famous verse which might seem to challenge that notion is Tit. 2:13. However, the ESV translation is actually more precise here: “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” [iii] As Ice once reiterated regarding the rapture—according to the handwritten note in my Bible: “There’s nothing to look for.” [iv] It is imminent and, therefore, signless. (See also 1 Cor. 1:7; Phi. 3:20.)

Now, that means that this is the time to prepare for the rapture! Place your trust in Christ alone for salvation, if you have not yet done so, then “set your house in order” (2 Kings 20:1; Isa. 38:1).

Indeed, once the signs of Christmas become evident, it’s definitely time to make plans for Thanksgiving. So it is that when we recognize the signs lining up to point toward Christ’s second coming, we need to focus our attention seriously on the pretribulational rapture.

All Bible believers agree with the concept of the rapture, whether they use (or even like) that term or not. The only issue is its timing. I believe that the rapture will precede the tribulation, “(keeping us) from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Rev. 3:10), before the signs of Christ’s return begin in earnest—and judgment begins to fall. It is the next item on the prophetic agenda, and it will impact the entire world.

Every generation hopes to be the one that will go to heaven without dying, but one will actually get to experience that. But don’t look for a sign, and don’t delay your preparations. The rapture may take place at any moment.

And, with that, there’s only one thing left to say: “O Lord, come!” (1 Cor. 16:22).
—

Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The ESV Bible.

[i] This classic illustration, which I have modified and developed over the course of the three installments in this series, has been widely used and is credited to Dr. John Walvoord. I have not found a particular source where Walvoord himself put this illustration in print. For background to it, see John F. Walvoord with Mark Hitchcock, Armageddon, Oil and Terror (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2007), p. 200. Regarding the illustration specifically, see Ron Rhodes, End-Times Super Trends (Eugene, OR; Harvest House Publishers, 2017), p.10; and Thomas Ice; “Signs of the Times;” Pre-Trib Research Center; n.d.; https://www.pre-trib.org/pretribfiles/pdfs/Ice-SignsoftheTimes.pdf; p. 2; Internet; accessed 6 October 2022.

[ii] See, for example, Thomas Ice; “Imminency and the Any-Moment Rapture;” Liberty University; May 2009; https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=pretrib_arch; Internet; accessed 20 October 2022.

[iii] Another challenging verse with regard to this basic pattern is 1 Thess. 5:6, which is addressed to church age believers (“let us watch,” NKJV). Again, however, the ESV seems to capture the essence of the verse well in its context: “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

[iv] I know that Dr. Ice shared this quote, but cannot recall or locate the time and place.

From my earliest childhood memories, my maternal grandmother would hum a tune, break in with “cheer up my brother,” and then continue humming again. As far as I could tell, she did this daily up to the time she left this earth to be with Jesus. It’s hard to imagine, but she’s been gone just over four decades now. (ESV – all emphasis mine.)

One day a few years ago, I was tuned into a Television Gospel Music program, and a group started singing a song that I recognized as the tune my grandmom used to hum. I looked it up and found that it was called “Farther Along” and is said to have been written in 1911 by William Buel Stevens. The message given through this hymn applies today as if it were just released. I have found that this hymn has been recorded by numerous artists over the years.

1.) Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder why it should be thus all the day long. While there are others living about us, never molested, though in the wrong.

Ref.) Farther Along, we’ll know all about it; Farther Along, we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother, live in the sunlight; we’ll understand it all by and by.

2.) Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer, go in the rain, the cold and the snow, when there are many living in comfort, giving no heed to all I can do.

3.) Tempted and tried, how often we question why we must suffer year after year, being accused by those of our loved ones, even though we’ve walked in God’s Holy fear.

4.) Often when death has taken our loved ones, leaving our home so lone and so drear, Then do we wonder why others prosper, living so wicked year after year.

5.) Faithful till death saith our loving Master; short is our time to labor and wait. Then until our toiling seems to be nothing, when we shall pass through the Heavenly Gate.

6.) Soon we will see our dear loving Savior; hear the last trumpet sound through the sky. Then we will meet those gone on before us; then we shall know and understand why.

Though our Heavenly Father created the heavens and the earth and everything within them, He did not intend for anything to be other than perfect. However, through actions by a fallen archangel, Lucifer, sin entered this world, and from that moment forward, death was introduced.

This world has seen just about every type of evil deed that could be possible. Satan and his demons – fallen angels – have provided chaos every step of the way. God is not surprised by any of this and has even given us signs to watch for that would indicate this age would just about be over.

In Luke 21:28, Jesus Himself told us that when the distress would seem to have us at the breaking point, He would be returning soon. In fact, He stated that when all these things begin to take place, our redemption would be very near.

If we take an honest look at current events, major changes started happening within the past 15 years. What has “come out of the closet” since then are things we would not have expected to be here; and quite frankly, we wish they would go back into their own darkness.

Satanic worship has been here all along; however, it was mostly confined to closed doors and done in secret. Today, it is not only out in the open but is actually trying to enter just about every phase of our living that there is. There is a satanic statue of a “satyr” holding hands with young children outside of a government building. Even “churches of Satan” are opening around the country.

Movies, TV shows, and other media are promoting activities that would have been prohibited a few years earlier. Believe it or not, even Disney is producing shows that are unfit for the family to watch.

Then, there are all the different alphabet groups saying that what God called “abominations” are suddenly perfectly “normal.” The problem with this is the Father has not changed His mind on any of this, and one day that will become very evident.

Jesus said His followers would be hated by all for His name’s sake (Luke 21:17), and we are witnessing this very action today. It’s okay to celebrate “gay pride” activities, but don’t get caught praying in the name of Jesus in public. As told by Jesus and others in the New Testament, there would be an increase in false prophets and antichrists. They have been among us from the first century on but have become bold in their teachings in today’s world. Their numbers have increased, and as Jesus said, more would accept the world’s view than accept His as being their Savior (Matthew 7:13-14).

The promise of the Father to keep all believers out of the wrath/tribulation is something we are absolutely grateful for and looking forward to. That’s found in 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10. That 7-year tribulation period will be the most horrible time this earth has ever experienced, and we hope none of our loved ones will go through it.

The fact that evil is increasing more rapidly every day should tell us that the 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 event is right around the corner. The “taking up” or Rapture could happen at any second now. I would stress the word “second” as 1 Corinthians 15:52 tells us it’s in the “twinkling of an eye,” which is considerably less than one second.

We do not have an overbearing and tyrannical God. He is all about love and allows everyone to decide for themselves which eternity they will end up in. All who follow the simple steps of Romans 10:9-13 and call on the name of God’s Son to be their Savior will be saved. That’s a promise that has no other conditions. Confess, receive, accept, call.

On the other hand, all who refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior will have a place in the long line at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. There will be no forgiveness there; no pardons; no limited sentences. Everyone in that line will be shown exactly why they are there and what their forever punishment will be.

The ultimate antichrist and false prophet will have already been the first occupants of hell for a thousand years, which is found in Revelation 19:20. Satan’s fate is in Revelation 20:10. There are people who attempt to add humor to the above events, but the punishment will be forever, and there will never be any laughter there. There will also be no light, as the “eternal light” is Jesus the Christ, and He will be with His followers in Heaven forever.

It’s hard to imagine the disbelief that exists over eternal punishment. However, that’s one of the lies Satan uses by saying it isn’t real. Another of his lies is that you’ve got plenty of time to make a decision to accept Jesus or not. Luke 12:16-21 is the parable of the rich man who was bragging that he would tear down his current barns and build bigger ones. Then he would live comfortably from then on. God required his soul that day, and all his wealth went to others.

We aren’t guaranteed any certain amount of time that we will be here, but we are guaranteed that if we have Jesus as our Savior when we take our last breath here, we will be with Him forever.

And the lie of “did God really say?” still pulls souls away from the Father. We’re told in 2 Peter 3:9 that God does not wish for anyone to end up in hell. However, if He forced everyone to accept Him, then He would not be about love. God really doesn’t have anything to prove to us, as He already gave us the ultimate free gift through the death of a very important part of Himself. Through the burial and glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus, He has conquered sin and death and eternal punishment for all who receive and accept that gift.

Right now, everything seems to be falling apart, with evil running rampant, strange weather patterns taking place, huge fires around the globe, and even a locust plague in Africa and Asia. Just remember, even though it seems “hopeless” right now, “Farther Along” we’ll understand why. We’ll see our loving Savior, and everything will totally make sense. That will be when we are Home with Him.

Call today; don’t delay. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com