Rapture and End Times

For yet in a very little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay. (Hebrews 10:37)

The Old Testament, New Testament, and early writings confirm that the church taught that there will be a thousand year millennial reign of Christ with His people on the earth.

The common belief and teaching was that a millennial reign would come after a literal six thousand year reign of Man. This millennium is known as the Day of the Lord.

Biblical genealogy and confirmed historic dates suggest the creation of Adam was around 4,000 B.C. This timing suggests that the Rapture and the Tribulation are imminent.

So, what are the facts on the ground, that point to this timing? Consider these recent headlines:

Putin monitors simulation of ‘massive nuclear strike’ by strategic forces AP, October 20, 2022

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday monitored drills of the country’s strategic nuclear forces involving multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in a show of force amid the heightened tensions with the West over the conflict in Ukraine.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that the exercise was intended to simulate a “massive nuclear strike” by Russia in retaliation for a nuclear attack on Russia.

The maneuvers followed Putin’s warning about his readiness to use “all means available” to fend off attacks on Russia’s territory in a clear reference to the country’s nuclear arsenals.

During Wednesday’s drills, a Yars land-based intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired from the northern Plesetsk launch site. A Russian nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea launched a Sineva ICBM at the Kura firing range on the far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

The Russian nuclear exercise comes amid Moscow’s warnings of a purported Ukrainian plot to detonate a radioactive device commonly known as a “dirty bomb” in a false flag attack to blame Russia.

Putin himself repeated the dirty bomb claim on Wednesday. “We know about the plans to use the so-called dirty bomb for provocations,” he said.

Shoigu, the Russian defense ministry, also called his Chinese and Indian counterparts Wednesday to discuss the allegation, which Ukraine and its Western allies have strongly rejected.

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Iran’s assistance to Russian war effort could make the country an enemy combatant, experts say Fox News, October 24, 2022

Continued assistance to Russia in the form of drones and weapons could place Iran at risk of being considered an enemy combatant in Ukraine, a status that opens the country up to sharing responsibility for war crimes.

“With the potential for missiles to be transferred by Iran to Ukraine, one has to begin to consider the Islamic Republic as a combatant on the side of Russia in the Ukraine war,” Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior fellow Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. “Indeed, if Iranian heavily armed suicide drones are striking Kyiv, then there’s no room left to entertain the fiction that Iran is just a passive partner in this conflict.”

Taleblu’s comments come after multiple reports over the last week indicated Iran has increased its assistance to the Russian war effort in Ukraine, including supplying Russian forces with suicide drones and surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members have also reportedly traveled to Crimea to help train Russian forces on the use of the Iranian-made weapons, a move the signals deepening military ties between the two countries.

“It would be logical to consider Iran a party to the Russia-Ukraine war, considering that the Islamic Republic provides lethal military hardware that helps Moscow kill Ukrainians,” Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and the author of “Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America,” told Fox News Digital. “The same issue can be raised about North Korea, who has been supplying millions of artillery shells and rockets to the Russians. Putin has been assembling a coalition of international pariahs to help him plug some holes in his conventional weapons arsenal as he is running short on his own precision-strike missiles.”

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It looks like China’s Xi ‘installed a war cabinet’ and removed the reformers, says Kyle Bass MarketWatch, October 26, 2022

Top leader Xi Jinping and the party on Sunday unveiled a new Politburo Standing Committee, a seven-member board that represents the top echelon of political power in China and will be the highest decision-making body of the country for the next five years.

“He sacked the technocrats that were running the markets, he sacked the head of the CSRC, the Chinese equivalent of the SEC, and he removed the person from the People’s Bank of China who wasn’t even at retirement age,” Bass, a vocal China critic, said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday.

Bass also said the choice of security officials Xi appointed to be in the Central Commission was striking as it underlines Beijing’s growing concern in the face of tensions with Taiwan and Washington. Chen Wenqing, the current minister of state security, is expected to head the party’s top security body, the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, along with Wang Xiaohong, the current minister of public security.

“He started changing where he was actually willing to go to war over Taiwan, means that not only would he be willing to use force on Taiwan if Taiwan was seeking independence, but now he can seek a forceful resolution of the reunification of Taiwan, even if the focus is simply on restoring or fighting the ‘Taiwanese separatists’,” said Bass. “He moved the goal posts on the war.”

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With the headlines shouting apocalyptic themes, it is vital to go straight to the source. Let’s examine 7 factors about the Rapture and the End of the Age from the words of Jesus:

1. There will be world-wide signs of Jesus’ coming, and the end of the age:

While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:3-8)

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2. He will come for us suddenly

“If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance. So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:23-28)

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3. He is coming at a day and hour we do not expect:

“Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only. As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44)

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them. But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’

“Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

“The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’

“When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.

“Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’

“But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you!’

“Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13)

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4. He will reward faithful service, and punish the hypocrites:

“Who then is a faithful and sensible slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time? That slave whose master finds him working when he comes will be rewarded. I assure you: He will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ and starts to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, that slave’s master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:45-51)

“For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. In the same way the man with two earned two more. But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

“Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

“Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’

“But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest.

“‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

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5. The great tribulation is a future event. It has not already happened in history:

“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house. And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect. (Matthew 24:15-22)

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6. There will be a generation that will not die until all these End Times events happen:

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near—at the door! I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. (Matthew 24:32-34)

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7. The Lord will reward the righteous with eternal life, and punish the wicked with eternal fire:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’

“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’

“Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

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These are the Last Days

Israel is forming a regional peace agreement, in order to form an alliance against Iran. All the major players have picked sides now, for the upcoming Gog war, as outlined in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. 

What will happen next? The Bible gives us the answer:

You nations, come here and listen;
you peoples, pay attention!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,
the world and all that comes from it.
The Lord is angry with all the nations—
furious with all their armies.
He will set them apart for destruction,
giving them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
and the stench of their corpses will rise;
the mountains will flow with their blood. (Isaiah 34:1-3)

If the End of the End Times is truly near, what should our attitude be?

We are given a glimpse into what the actual end times will look like from the apostle Peter, whom Christ called “the rock.” In 2 Peter 3:10 the apostle relates, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”

The topic of the end times has been of deep interest to Christians since Christ himself walked the earth. Jesus warned the disciples about the end times, saying, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

As people of faith, how are we to behave during the end times, if that is indeed where we are heading? What is our role as Christians in this time of biblical fulfillment?

Christ himself gave us a very clear directive, in the verses just mentioned. He first warned of our attention being caught up in the wrong things: carousing, drunkenness, and anxiety. Jesus seems to be saying we will be caught totally unaware by the cataclysmic events preceding his return, and notes the shock when we realize we have been focusing on the wrong things (he actually says the day will close upon us like “a trap.”)

We need to take this to heart as believers, staying watchful for the signs of the end of our time here on earth.

Jesus warned us about staying away from activities that steal our watchfulness–too much frivolity and drink, and interestingly, anxiety. In a world that is increasingly anxious, Jesus warns us away from this stress–to instead, we can infer, stay focused on him and the promises in the Bible for our everlasting life.

Another clue to how we should conduct ourselves as we prepare for the end times leads us back to 2 Peter. “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

We are again given the idea that things will disappear–or melt in the heat–and in 2 Peter 3:10, remember, we are told things will be “laid bare.” Not just the earth, but everything done in it. God’s judgment will be at hand.

How do we make these directives found in 2 Peter and spoken by Jesus himself actionable in our modern lives?

May we remember something very important: if we are true believers, we are going to be absolutely okay. Christ died to give us eternal life with him! Even though the end times will be frightening, and we will no doubt see things that we cannot even begin to imagine, we must live by faith, trusting in God’s promises and the meaning of the resurrection. We will be fine when this earth passes away.

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If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.  Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”

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Reader Comments:

I liked the article. He lays out facts without needing to crank everything into a…systematic eschatogical framework. All the frameworks do some pounding and twisting, like…trying to fit everything into a bent frame. Every single one of them has some stuff that doesn’t fit where they insist on fitting it.

stunnedbygrace, November 1, 2022

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We are saved from eternal torment.

We are to be delivered from His Wrath

the last 7 years before Jesus physically returns is known colloquially as the Tribulation, great tribulation, etc. but its biblical name is included here:

Rev. 6:

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Joel 2:31
King James Version

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

this is the wrath we are to be delivered from via the rapture.

Ronald Nolette, November 1, 2022