Can We Still Believe in the Rapture?

The Rapture Changes Everything

“The Lord himself will come down from heaven … and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

 One of the most exciting and compelling prophetic events described in the Bible is the rapture of the church. It will occur instantaneously and without warning. Suddenly, millions of people will be missing—caught up to heaven to meet the Savior in the air. While this prophetic promise is of great comfort and assurance to believers, it will have a shocking impact on those who are left behind.

 At the moment of the rapture, the bodies of all believers who have died with faith in Christ since the day of Pentecost will suddenly be transformed into new, living, immortal, resurrected bodies. Even those whose bodies have long since decayed or whose ashes have been scattered across the oceans will receive a new body. This new body will be joined together with the person’s spirit, which Jesus brings with Him from heaven. Then the bodies of those who are alive on earth and have accepted Christ as their Savior will also be instantly translated into new, immortal bodies.

 Notice the similarity between the descriptions of the Rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 2 Thessalonians 4:15-18. When Christ comes to take His church (all believers) to heaven in fulfillment of His promise in John 14:1-3, He will include all New Testament believers, both the living and the dead.

 Together, all believers will be instantly transported into heaven to meet their loved ones “in the clouds” and then to meet the Lord in the air. Those who have rejected the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and remain on earth will witness a miraculous event of astonishing proportions—the sudden mass disappearance of millions upon millions of Christians from the face of the earth.

 Scripture calls the Rapture “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) because this event provides comfort not only to those believers who are concerned about the coming tribulations of the last days, but also to those who long to be reunited with their departed loved ones who shared faith in Christ.

 The Second Coming, which encompasses both the Rapture and the glorious appearing, is one of the most significant events mentioned in the entire Bible. The New Testament alone has 321 references to this awesome event, making it the second-most prominent doctrine presented in Scripture after the doctrine of salvation. The concept of the Second Coming is clearly taught in both the Old and New Testaments. It is also affirmed in the doctrinal statement of every major Christian denomination.

 On average, the New Testament mentions the Second Coming in one out of every 30 verses, and it is mentioned in every chapter of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the first books written for the early church. Moreover, all nine New Testament authors mention the Second Coming, and 23 of the 27 New Testament books reference it.

 While various views exist as to when the Rapture will occur (before, during, or after the Tribulation), all must acknowledge that there will be a rapture. The only real question is, when will it occur? The chief characteristic of the Rapture is that it will be sudden and will catch people by surprise.

 “Of that day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36), which is why we should live so as to “be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Indeed, throughout the ages, the Rapture has appeared imminent to Christians of every generation. And one day He will! The trumpet will sound, the archangel will shout, and we will all go home to be with Jesus.

God intended His church to be motivated to holy living, fervent evangelism, and missionary concern by the study of the second coming of Christ. If Jesus is indeed coming again, then we who are Christians need to let the world know it!

Are We Nearing the Rapture?

One of the signs of the end times and return of Christ, mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, is a falling away or a great apostasy (Greek, apostasia). Many have wondered when this type of falling away from the faith would occur and it is possible that we may be seeing the beginning of this event. The major areas that are contributing to this quick decline in belief in the Western world are the decline of faith in Europe, the decline of faith in the United States and the impact of the coronavirus.

First, Christianity is on major life support in Europe. Once a dominant Christian stronghold that sent missionaries all around the globe, Europe no longer has any strong Christian presence. For example, a recent Guardian report showed that 59 percent of young people aged 18-29 never attend religious services and 70 percent identify as non-religious. Secularism has destroyed Christianity throughout most of Europe and entire generations are no being raised in completely secular environments. The bastion of Christendom for so many centuries is now devoid of Christ.

Second, the United States, while not as secular as Europe, is quickly as it way to following in its footsteps. Secularism is on the rise and Christianity is suffering greatly. Even basic Christian beliefs are being thrown aside by the culture at large and even many who claim the Christian faith. In a recent State of Theology survey produced by Lifeway, 52 percent of Americans believe that Jesus was simply a great teacher, but not God. Even more troubling, 30 percent of self-identified Evangelicals also agreed that Jesus was a great teacher but not God. This is not a highly contested or debated theological concept but is a foundational theological belief in order to consider oneself a Christian. These types of surveys show that American Christianity is rapidly on a similar trajectory to that of Europe.

Finally, the coronavirus may also help to contribute to this rise in apostasy. Many church attenders have not been able to attend church for many months. Some have been able to watch digitally but many do not have access to the technology that allows for easy streaming. Churches are also struggling to survive during this pandemic. A recent Barna study showed that twenty percent of churches in America could be in danger of closing within the next 18 months, both because of financial struggles and because many churchgoers who attended prior to the coronavirus have not returned when the churches have been able to reopen. It is possible a decline in the coronavirus could help with these numbers, but it is still a significant blow to churches in a time when churches are needed to stem the tide in secularism. These trends could change and a great apostasy away from Christianity can be avoided.

Perhaps while Europe and America decline, other regions of the world will drive Christianity forward. However, it is also very possible that the stage is being set for the return of Christ and this rapid turn away from Christianity is another step in this direction. We need to be in prayer for our nation, for our churches, for our pastors and we need to be prepared to reach a world that is no longer accepting of basic Christian beliefs and morality. While we anxiously anticipate the return of Christ with an eye to the sky, we also need to work as diligently as possible to reach as many as we can with the Gospel of Jesus.

Pray our nation will experience a great revival and turn away from the roots of secularism that have taken hold in so many through our nation and the world.

Could the Coronavirus be setting the stage for the Rise of the Antichrist?

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,

or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Revelation 13:17

One of the questions that many Christians are asking is how the coronavirus could be impacting prophecy and the end times. While the virus itself is not a prophetic event, it could be setting the stage for the antichrist in three main areas: stronger government regulations (especially with regards to religious services), a push for a one world government and a possible move to both a cashless and global economy.

First, the coronavirus has created stronger government regulations throughout much of the world, even in most of the democratic nations that tend to be the most free. While some government regulations are necessary, continually increasing power and control in the hands of a few politicians and allowing them to make decisions on when people can leave their houses, which stores are allowed to be open and even when or if people are allowed to attend religious services. While it is true that many of these regulations may be lessoned if the virus lessens, it is also establishing a framework that would allow very few people massive control throughout the world. Perhaps the antichrist will one day be able to use this same type of structure to control and regulate the world, especially if people assume that the Rapture is some type of pandemic event.

Second, many, such as Al Gore, have taken the pandemic as an opportunity to push for a stronger one world government. When you combine this push for a single power in control with the stronger regulations that have occurred, it becomes very easy to see how someone like the antichrist could easily gain control of enough power to take control of the major nations of the world. Some have always wondered how the antichrist could possibly gain so much power and make so many changes so quickly during the time of the Tribulation. Perhaps this pandemic has shown us a blueprint of how something like this could occur. We would never have dreamed that so much of our daily life could be changed as quickly as it did in March. The Rapture, perhaps seen by the world as some type of pandemic, could very well be a catalyst that then allows the antichrist to rise to power in a similar manner.

Finally, the coronavirus has caused and will continue to cause dramatic changes to not only the economy of the United States, but also the entire world. Many have already been pushing for a cashless society for years and the pandemic has even heightened these calls.

A recent New York Times article was published entitled “Our Cash-Free Future Is Getting Closer: The pandemic is propelling a shift toward a cashless society in ways that no other single event has.” Liz Alderman writes, “Cash was already being edged out in many countries as urban consumers paid increasingly with apps and cards for even the smallest purchases. But the coronavirus is accelerating a shift toward a cashless future, raising new calculations for merchants and enriching the digital payments industry.”

Why would this be important? For centuries people have wondered how the antichrist could use the mark of the beast to control buying and selling of goods (Rev. 13:17). All of the different currencies and cash would make that a very difficult proposition. However, a cashless society makes this much easier, as the government could simply block off someone’s account and cards and completely cut off their ability to purchase goods. While it is not definitive that the coronavirus is setting the stage for the antichrist’s rise, these events do offer a blueprint on how his rise to power could occur in the future.

Prophetic Warnings

The challenge of the global pandemic brought on by the coronavirus has the world on edge. Many are asking is this the end of the world? Are we already in the Tribulation Period? The immediate answer is NO! We are not in the Tribulation. The Rapture has not occurred and the Antichrist has not been revealed. This is not the end of the word!

But what is happening is serious. Thousands of people are being affected worldwide by this epidemic. I believe it is a precursor of things to come. It is a warning from God. As terrible as the current crisis is, it is but a glimpse of the king of global judgments that one day will come upon the whole world.

The Book of Revelation predicts a series of divine judgments that will occur in the future. Seven seals reveal the wrath of the Lamb (Christ) on the unbelieving world (6:1-8:1). From the seventh seal came forth seven trumpets of judgment (8:2-11:15) and finally seven bowls of judgment, also called the seven last plagues (15:1-16:17). In each series of judgment, the wrath of God is poured out on the unredeemed world that has been left behind at the Rapture.

For the born-again believers, Jesus’ word is clear and reassuring. In Matthew 24:42-46, He told us to 1. “Keep watching for you do not know what hour your Lord will come.” 2. “Be ready, for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man will come.” 3. “Keep serving until he comes. “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he comes will find so doing.”

In Luke 21:11, Jesus predicted “And great earthquakes shall be in many places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” Then He added “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws night (Luke 21:25).

Practical Steps in Light of Bible Prophecy

What can we know for sure?

1.     Life in a fallen world is full of trouble (Job 14:1)

2.     Belief in the Rapture does not mean believers can always avoid trouble in this life (2 Timothy 3:12)

3.     The promise of the Rapture will deliver us from the wrath of God, not the wrath of man or nature (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9).

4.     God can overrule the worst of circumstances to bring about His ultimate good purpose (Romans 8:28).

5.     Our present suffering is temporary in light of our eternal glory (Romans 8:18).

6.     Until the Lord returns to call us home our main goal is to glorify God with our lives (1 Corinthians 6:20).

7.     In the meantime, pray for God’s grace, wisdom and protection on your family (Deuteronomy 4:30-31).

8.     Live each day in the will of God (Romans 12:2).

9.     Trust God to face each new day being led by His Spirit (John 14:16-18).

10.  Spread the Gospel of grace and hope to family, friends and acquaintances (Mark 16:15).

Use this time to pray more, read God’s Word more, search your soul, share your faith and live each day to God’s glory. God bless you and your family.