The program described the enormous destruction, followed by famine and radiation poisoning. Dear folks, this is not only described in the Book of Revelation, starting at chapter six, but the Lord Jesus told his friends about it shortly before His death. It is also in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Isaiah chapter 24. It is all part of the seven year Great Tribulation.
The big question for us is: will the Lord Jesus take His church out before this horror breaks upon the earth? Almost every Christian I know believes that He will, that the great event known as the rapture of the church will be before the Great Tribulation begins.
The rapture is revealed by the apostle Paul writing to the church in Thessalonica, a church he founded and taught for only three weeks before he was driven out of town. But he taught those new believers about the rapture and even the Antichrist in that brief time. Later he wrote to remind them of those things. So much for church leaders now who refuse to teach about Bible prophecy and the end times! Paul gave it all to the baby Christians in the first few weeks!
The rapture (Greek ‘harpazo’) is when the Lord Jesus comes in the air, taking all believers to Heaven, living and dead, first raising the dead bodies of Christians from all ages and after them snatching up in the air those who are still alive at the time of His coming.
This will be the greatest of all parades! Those millions who died believing in Jesus in the last 2000 years will be at the front of the parade. Their spirits have been in Heaven all this time, and they will then be reunited with their physical bodies – not horribly disfigured and rotted away, but gloriously renewed, new creations.
Those of us who are alive at the time will be bringing up the rear! We will receive our new bodies on the way up.
I often ask the Lord if I could please be one of those who go in the rapture. And I also ask Him, please let me not be ashamed at that moment when I suddenly see You coming. I want to be happy when I see Him coming, because those people will receive a crown, and it is one we can all aspire to.
The seven years of horror on earth is paralleled by seven years of the church, the Bride of Christ, secluded in Heaven with the heavenly Bridegroom.
There are many reasons to believe that this is the way things will unfold.
But if that is the big question, whether or not the church will be saved out of the seven year horror, there is an even bigger question: do we really belong to Jesus? Are we hot or cold in His service? Do we really love Him?
Is He going to welcome us with a ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ Or will He say: ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me…’
Are we doing His work now and keeping Jesus’ many commands? Or are we lukewarm? Will He spew some of us out of His mouth? (Revelation 3:16)
A prayer: Dear heavenly Father, Your Word tells us of the horrors to come on the earth. Please make me hot, not lukewarm, in Your service. Please grant that I will be happy at the moment of Jesus' coming, and not be ashamed when I see your beloved Son, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, face to face. Please give me something to do today that will give Him glory.
