Key Scripture:
Matthew 24.9 – Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Matthew 24.36-37 – But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels in heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of man be.
Proverbs 30.11-14 – There is a generation that curseth their father and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
Proverbs 30.17 – The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
Amos 5.18-20 – Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?
1st Thessalonians 5.3 – For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety’; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
2nd Thessalonians 2.2-12 – 1Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Many people may know the Television Movie, The Day After, and certainly those who happened to grow up in the 1980s may know this movie all too well. This is a movie that was filmed and produced by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) depicting a situation of Nuclear War between the then-Soviet union and Warsaw Pact Powers, and the United States and NATO Allies. Centering on the USA, the story followed the lives of several Americans as they endured nuclear attack, and the aftermath. It was a sobering television special that made many people see a glimpse of the horrors of nuclear war.
Since that time, there have been several other movies which depict a “Day After” situation, involving massive winter storms (The Day After Tomorrow [2004]), a massive flood (Flood [2007]), a world-wide Alien attack (Independence Day [1996]), mass suicides due to people going insane (The Happening [2008]), the end of the Mayan Calendar, which predicts massive disaster (2012 [2009]), a future where computers run the world and attempt to destroy the human race (The Terminator series [1984, 1991, 2003, 2009]), and any of the more recent “zombie” movies (Dawn of the Dead [2004], The Resident Evil Series [2002, 2004, 2007], 28 Days Later [2002], 28 Weeks Later [2007]). In each of these movies, the human race is presented with some sort of world-shaking catastrophe in which massive damage is done, thousands or even millions are killed, and basically the governments of the world are in disarray or totally incapacitated.
While most of these movies take a rather dim view of the situation after each climactic event, could there really be an event that will cause such desolation, such destruction, and so much confusion that civil authorities will be helpless and people left to fend for themselves? Could there be a cataclysmic event that will render just about everyone everywhere helpless and with fading hope?
The Rapture
A recurring subject and topic of hot debate in the Church of Jesus Christ in these modern days is the subject of The Rapture. Just what is this so-called “Rapture” that has much of the church debating with itself?
The Rapture is an event foretold in many parts of the Bible, particularly in the New Testament. It is an event that was not only talked about by Jesus Christ, but by the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John, and the Apostle Peter. The Rapture is an event in which the Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven in the clouds, and, with the sound of a trumpet, calls from the earth all of those who have chosen to put their faith, hope, and trust for eternity and salvation in him.
Those who have died in the Lord, believing in him as Lord and Saviour, will also be resurrected and called home to be with the Lord. It is an event that many have depicted in fiction (the most notable being the Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins), in Television and movies, (“The Thief in the Night” Serial from the 1970s), in non-fiction (The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey), and even on the radio (the Left Behind Live Action Radio Dramas were played daily and weekly on many Christian Radio Stations in the USA).
Basically, it is the belief that every true and real Christian and follower of Jesus Christ will disappear in an instant so fast, it will be faster than the blink of an eye. One minute, Christians will be bodily present in the world, and in the next instant, we will all be gone, with just physical, bodily items being left behind. Most Christians who believe in the Rapture of the Church believe that it will be a time of great destruction, chaos, and confusion, insomuch that nations will be on the brink of catastrophe, such as never has been experienced in the world before or since.
The Rapture will be especially heavy in countries and areas that have a high proportion of Christians in the population. Many believe that the United States will be so hard hit that it will be reduced to third-world status, thanks to Christians occupying very high levels of government and social position. Any other country, as well, that has a high number of Christians in high social status will be just as adversely affected.
What Divides Christians Concerning the Rapture?
Probably the most divisive aspect of the Rapture is when it will happen. Depending on the school of thought being explained, the Rapture is debated generally along the lines of it being before the 7-year period known as the Tribulation (“Pre-Tribulation” or “Pre-Trib” Rapture), in the middle of the Tribulation, about or around the time the Antichrist sets himself up as god in the newly-built Jewish Temple (“Mid-Trib” or “Mid-Tribulation” Rapture), or at the end of the Tribulation period.
There are other groups that believe other things about the rapture and the second coming of Jesus Christ (such as Preterists and Preterism, which believe that the Kingdom of Christ has already come), but this article and lesson will focus on the Pretribulation Rapture. Though this writer will not get into the arguments and divisions between the two, it is the opinion and belief of this writer that the Bible clearly and unmistakably points to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This is what the Early Church believed, what the Apostles believed and preached, and it is no coincidence that churches which preach the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church (often also called “The Secret Rapture”) are usually the ones that are most on-fire and most diligent about reaching the lost. It is the belief of this writer and his opinion that Jesus Christ will snatch away his Church just before the Tribulation, and it is also believed by this writer that the Bible, again, is clear and unmistakable in pointing towards that Pre-Tribulation Rapture. If anyone would like more information concerning the Pre-Tribulation rapture, please visit the following sites:
Rapture Ready (www.raptureready.com)
Zola Levitt Ministries (www.levitt.com)
Prophecy Watch (www.prophecywatch.com)
Prophecy Central (www.bible-prophecy.com)
According to Prophecy (http://www.according2prophecy.org/)
The Hal Lindsey Report (http://hallindsey.org/)
Lamb and Lion Ministries (www.lamblion.com)
The Omega Letter (www.jackkinsella.com)
Chick Publications (www.chick.com)
Left Behind (www.leftbehind.com)
He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…
Most people do not understand fully the message written by Paul in the header above, which is taken from one of our Keys for today. The Person being spoken of in, “He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way…” that Paul the Apostle is talking about here is the Holy Ghost, also known as the Holy Spirit. It is one of the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ that when a person receives Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour, s/he is also indwelt by the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. This is from the promise that Jesus Christ gave in the New Testament Book of Acts:
“But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses of me…”
– Acts 1.8
This promise is also given elsewhere in the Bible:
“Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
– John 20.22
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you…”
– Luke 24.49
“…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
– Matthew 28.20
“…but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.”
– Mark 13.11
“but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost…”
– Acts 1.5, 11.16
“…ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
– Acts 2.38
“…be filled with the Holy Ghost.”
– Acts 9.17
“Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
– Acts 10.47
“…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
– Romans 5.5
“…he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost…”
– Matthew 3.11
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
– Luke 11.13
“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
– Acts 2.4
These verses make it clear that those who choose to follow Jesus Christ are indwelt by His Holy Ghost. Every believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour has the Holy Ghost, and it is this fact, and the Holy Ghost’s Presence in the world in this way, that holds back the evil from fully manifesting itself in the world today as the Antichrist. In essence, it is because of the Believers in and Followers of Jesus Christ that the evil has not overtaken the world, and the Evil one has not set his man, the Antichrist, on the throne of this world. However, when the Rapture takes place, when Jesus comes in the clouds with the sound of the trumpet, and receives those who have died in him, and those who’ve lived for him and trusted his sacrifice on the cross for salvation, EVERY thing will change!!!
When the Rapture “Hits”…
The Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ will literally shake the world. It will be an event like no other in the history of the world. Many people remember significant dates in their National Histories, and even in the History of the World. Possibly everyone in Europe and North America knows the significance of September 1st, 1939. In Northeastern Asia, people in China, Korea, and Japan know the significance of the dates of August 6th and August 9th, 1945. In the USA, everyone knows the significance of September 11th, 2001. Most Americans also know November 22nd, 1963, December 7th, 1941, and April 9th, 1865. As important as these dates are, they will be mere shadows and small blips on the Earth’s Timescale compared to the Event of the Rapture.
The reason is, Christians are literally everywhere in the world; from the deepest, darkest jungles of South America and Africa, to the Deserts of Central Asia, to the Siberian Wastelands of Russia, to the great metropolises of New York City, London, England, Tokyo, Japan, Cape Town, South Africa, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Beijing, China, Christians are literally everywhere n the world.
Most families in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Africa, and many parts of Asia have family members and close, close friends that are Christians. When the Rapture takes place, it will touch the lives of literally every person on the face of the Earth. Though some people may be spared from losing family, everyone will have known someone who was a Christian that was taken, be it a coworker, a friend, a classmate or teacher, a neighbor, or a business acquaintance. The Rapture will literally touch everyone everywhere in the world, and everyone, thanks to the miracle of satellite-fed television and newsreels, will likely see someone taken, right before their eyes.
The First Few Minutes After the Rapture…
The first few minutes after the Rapture will be – in a phrase – pure chaos. Planes with flight crews being completely Christian will suddenly be pilotless and crewless, and will crash in any number of places, killing thousands. Cars and trucks with Christian drivers will suddenly be out of control, causing massive loss of life and hundreds of traffic jams, pile-ups, and highway disasters.
Trains and subways which had Christian Conductors and Engineers will be out of control and cause commuter snarls in dozens of places in hundreds of cities throughout the world. Ships and boats with Christian captains and crews will suddenly be without their steering, and will also be objects of destruction, with oil spills, sinkings, crashes into port, and causing horrendous loss of life and billions of dollars in damage all over the world. People who were walking, talking, driving, studying, working, doing business, and in any other way interacting with a Christian will, in the immediate minutes after the Rapture, be confused, dazed, surprised, even horrified and terribly afraid, especially those who were looking as a Christian who disappeared.
Parents of Children will suddenly be horrified, as any child below the age of majority will likely be taken. Parents of newborns, and expectant parents and mothers will suddenly be without their babies, infants, and toddlers, and will likely go literally and figuratively mad and crazy trying to find their precious little ones. This writer lives in Japan, and with the high suicide rates, such will likely skyrocket out of control, as parents who cannot find their missing children, go crazy, or into deep depression, or both, and choose to end their lives. This will be a phenomenon all across the globe. Many countries that have high concentrations or high numbers of Christians could literally find cities or even states reduced to nearly uninhabited, thanks to the rapture.
Countries like the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, the Philippines, Russia and many others could literally see cities become ghost towns in an instant as the Rapture takes away large portions of the population. The first few minutes after the Rapture will be a shock to all, and confusion, disaster, and chaos will ensue and be in control.
The First Hours After the Rapture…
Due to the Rapture, police forces, fire fighters, ambulance and medical vehicle operators, and the militaries of many – if not most – nations will be affected. Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel will suffer huge losses of trained workers needed to help all the injured and dying that will crowd into hospitals, clinics, medical facilities, and health offices. Statistics have shown that in the USA, police officers, military personnel, fire fighters, and medical vehicle operators and nurses tend to have quite considerably large numbers of Christians, and these statistics are echoed in many other nations throughout the world.
As with any natural disaster, especially on a nation-wide or region-wide scale – such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Earthquake of December 2004, and the various famines and pestilences in Africa and parts of India and Asia – looting, lawlessness, and criminal chaos is usually part of the equation when it comes to a nation or government attempting to regain control after such a disaster has occurred. Such will also be the case following the Rapture, and it will be magnified by the fact that many, if not most, law enforcement officers and military personnel will be among those Raptured.
Looting, which has plagues just about every large city in the world, especially in times of protest, civil violence and disobedience, and disaster, will run amok and out of control. Hospitals will be overrun and overwhelmed with the injured and dying brought to their doors thanks to the large number of accidents and wrecks following the Rapture. Police Offices will be inundated with phone calls from frantic parents, family and relatives, and friends of the vanished to the point of communication relays being broken down. Fire Stations and Ambulances will be run ragged from out of control fires and responding to emergency calls from those who have been injured or killed due to the Rapture.
Military installations around the world will be on full alert, and will likely prepare for action in the face of personnel being Raptured, and the ones left behind left to literally try and figure out what happened. However, in spite of all of this chaos, there will be far, far worse things, actions, and situations to take place.
Crime….Like We’ve Never Seen Before…
In the movie, Event Horizon (1997), a science fiction story and film, the recorded ship logs from the ship, Event Horizon, showing scenes are that of recorded imaging of the worst kind of chaos and violence: torture, cannibalism, dismemberment, rape, mutilation, and other acts too horrible to describe. In the immediacy of the post-Rapture world, it is very likely that human kind will – at least for a short time – will descend into this kind of chaos, where rape, torture, dismemberment, murders of the most grisly and inhuman kind, and any other form of violence takes place on Earth. Could it be, though, that the average human being could descend to a state, where such horrific violence is carried out?
Could it be that simply because the presence of the LORD, by way of his Holy Ghost indwelt in those who believed in Jesus Christ, departs, evil perpetrated by what the world views as “normal” would commit horrible acts of crime against other people which, under more controlled circumstances, would never take place?
To get a better picture of this, to truly understand this, we have to understand the nature of the Holy Ghost. The Key Scripture above, from 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2, speaks of the Holy Ghost and his power to withhold the all-out, purely chaotic evil of the Devil and his angels.
We need to understand that this world – which already has seen murders, atrocities, holocausts and genocides – is still under God’s overall control. Yes, when Adam and Eve sinned, the world was given to the devil by mankind, but because the world has always had people who have chosen to follow God, God, in turn, has reined in the devil’s activities, especially when it comes to how he comes against Christians and Believers of Jesus Christ. However, there will come a day when the devil – because the staying hand of the Holy Ghost – will have absolute control, and likely, during the first few hours to the first few days and weeks after the Rapture, the chaos, the loss-of-control by governments and nations will be so complete that there very well could be a sharp, sharp rise in the numbers of violent crimes, with rapes, murders, thefts, lootings, grisly serial killer-type murders, dismemberments, and torture being played out all across the globe. Because police forces, security firms, and militaries all wave the world will be affected, these entities will likely be able to do very little to stop the tide of chaos, even if they wish to. Such was the case in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in 2005.
Instead of fulfilling their pledge to serve and protect, and to uphold the law of the City of New Orleans and the surrounding suburbs, many police officers – due to the fact of many of their superiors leaving them with no guidance nor leadership – simply evacuated the area, leaving thousands to the mercies and violence of roving gangs of looters and thugs. It is believed that hundreds were beaten, raped, tortured, and murdered by these gangs which were able to move with impunity, so long as the police were away. Think of a situation like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, but on a worldwide scale, where military units, police forces, and security firms are without leadership, orders, or guidance, not to mention numbers of people in uniform thanks to the Rapture taking so many away.
Think of roving gangs of thugs, out for blood, for rapacious sex, and for murderous, torturous “fun” at the expense of those others who are left behind. Friends and readers, you must understand the nature of the devil, and of the satanic spirit that will envelop this world in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks following the Rapture. Yes, control will be restored by the person who will later be identified as the Antichrist, and, in fact, one of the reasons for this person’s power and authority will be quite possibly because the Antichrist and the devil’s agents will literally be everywhere, doing “good” things, restoring order, and aiding people who were most hurt by the confusion and violence of the Rapture, even so far as reining in those rapacious, thug gangs, much similar to what was seen after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Because the Antichrist will put a major stop to the violence, the debauchery, and the chaos and confusion – or will seem to (at least putting it on a serious hold for a time) – he will be seen as a new Savior. Further, as people are saved and brought into a Saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will again become present on the earth, but because of the Rapture, because of the Prophecies of the Bible, and because the Antichrist, his False Prophet, and the Devil will be given authority and near-total control of the Earth, the power of the Holy Spirit, In the withholding sense, will not be the same as prior to the Rapture. The satanic, devilish, demonic spirit that will rule following the Rapture will likely be so pervasive and powerful, not to mention blood-thirsty, that everyone on the Earth will very likely be affected, and very easily and likely radically so.
Until the spirit is “brought under control” by the Antichrist, this world will be like one, huge cesspool of violence, mayhem, confusion, and crime against humanity. Internal squabbles many nations are dealing with, that are currently under the radar in most major news organizations, will likely explode to new levels of violence and combat. Civil and social strife and fights will likely erupt into all-out genocide and/or civil war in many if not all nations.
A Caged Dog Unleashed
To better understand this phenomenon that will take place following the Rapture, with regards to this chaotic and devilish spirit pervading the world in the immediate after math of the Rapture, think of a dog that has been tethered on a chain inside a yard or a cage for a long period of time. When that dog is set loose from its cage and chain, what does it or will it do? Anyone who has kept a dog in such a state for a good while knows that the first thing that dog will do is run, run, run, and run some more. It may even get into the trash of a neighbor’s garbage can, dig, dig, and dig some more in another yard, and do other and crazier acts.
The reason: that dog wants to do as much in its power for as long as it can, until its master or someone else brings that dog back into the yard, and it is set again on its chain. Dogs that are given a respectable amount of freedom usually will do no such things. The same will be for this wicked, chaotic spirit that will pervade the world immediately following the Rapture. This spirit will want to do as much damage as it is allowed, cause as much mayhem, spill as much blood, and hurt as many people as possible before the Antichrist brings it back under control.
This spirit of chaos and of mayhem is already at work in the world – just turn on your television or open your daily newspaper, and it is easy to recognize – but it is under the control of the Holy Ghost. After the Rapture – especially immediately following the disappearances of so many Christian law-enforcement officers, authority figures, military personnel and leaders, security contractors and patrolmen, and government officials – all bets are off, and this spirit will be loosed for a time, until it is temporarily brought under the control of the Antichrist.
It will be under his control during the first couple of years of the Tribulation, during the time of the first Seal Judgment (the White horse and Rider of Peace), but when the Second Seal Judgment is loosed (the Red Horse and Rider with the large sword), it will, once again, be loosed, and for a much longer and far more destructive time. However, this spirit will have freedom, as well, in the days immediately following the Rapture, and along with the localized and regional mayhem he will unleash, there will also be the inklings of international war, especially one that was Prophesied by the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel.
The Days Following the Rapture – World War III
The United States of America, a country which, like only few others, has Christians at the highest levels of its government, will likely be devastated by the Rapture. With the number of Christians being 75% to 80%1 of the population, the Rapture could, and probably will, mean the end of the USA as a Superpower, or even a major world power, and with that passing, the ability to effectively help defend Israel from her Arab neighbors. This could be the chance that Russia, Iran, Egypt, and all of their Arab and North African Allies are seeking, and the Assault by the overwhelming numbers as mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39 could, and very likely, will take place.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain, with an estimate between 71% and 53%2 of its population being Christian, and the UK being a good friend and past ally of Israel, after the Rapture, England will likely, as well, be in no position to give any kind of aid to Israel in the event of this assault. In fact, as Islam will likely suffer very few losses in the Rapture (very likely zero due to the Rapture itself, but many due to accidents and disasters involving the disappearances of so many Christians), as well as due to the demonic, satanic spirit that will pervade immediately following the Rapture, this may be seen as an opportunity for offensive actions against Islam’s infidels. In fact, many in Islam may regard the Rapture as some sort of “punishment” being carried out on the West and Christian Nations by Allah, and, as a result, will likely turn to their own devices to carry out further reprisals and assaults, all in the name of Allah.
The current Conflict in the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan very, very likely could flare-up into all-out regional war not only between American Soldiers and Al-Qaida and the Taliban, but as well between ethnicities and races. In Asia, the Republic of Korea is estimated to have between 30% and 51% of its population being Christian3. As such, the Rapture – taking out as many as half of the population – will devastate not only the civilian population, but the military of South Korea as well. Coupling this with the losses that the United States Military will sustain in the event of the Rapture, this could be the opportunity for the Democratic People’s Republic (a.k.a. – North) of Korea to attack and “unify” the Korean Peninsula in her own devices.
This could likely be so, as well, because of the diminished international strength of the USA, and with Russia focusing on Israel and the Middle East. North Korea – unrestrained by international pressure – could, and very likely will invade her Southern neighbor, and, with her rocket technology, launch missile strikes against Japan. Again, with the US Military Presence and International Prowess lost, the People’s Republic of China – thanks to Rapture losses of as many as more than 100 million people4 – could, in her confusion over the loss of such numbers of people, launch strikes against Taiwan and Japan, aid North Korea against the South, and make herself The Power in Asia where Japan and the USA had been in the past.
Further, the People’s Republic is scheduled in the next year or so to launch three men into space, and has already launched rockets carrying one- and two-man capsules. Placing explosive warheads – or even nuclear – on top of these rockets instead of space capsules, and pointing them towards the USA or Japan, instead of space, could also be an option in the days following the Rapture. Further, the Republic of the Philippines, with upwards of 90% of her population being Christian5, and having dealt with Muslim Rebels in her Southern Islands for several decades, could also see her government and nation collapse, becoming a nation dominated by Islam. The conflicts between the Filipino Army and the Islamic Separatist Rebels will likely bloom into a full-scale war as many in the government in Manila and in the military will have disappeared in the rapture. Tensions between Pakistan, India, and China could also have a devastating effect on the events immediately following the Rapture.
While nuclear weapons – at least on a larger scale anticipated by the Second Seal Judgment (Red Horse and Sword-bearing rider) – may not be used, there will still likely be much bloodshed, much warfare between nations, especially as escalations and accusations of kidnapping are tossed back and forth between countries in the immediate aftermath of the disappearances of believers in the populations of different countries due to the Rapture.
The Ultimate Danger of Missing Out on the Rapture – The Antichrist.
The most dangerous aspect of the days following the Rapture will be, undoubtedly, the rise of the Antichrist. In light of all of the disasters, wars, strife, confusion, criminal activities, and all the other horrible things and situations that will come about because of the Rapture, a person will come forward who will seem to have all the answers.
This person will seem to have superhuman powers insomuch that he will cause miraculous signs to take place. He will preach “peace” and “safety”, will take control of the world and will appear to solve all the problems of the Rapture, and may even take credit for the Rapture himself, stating that he has gotten rid of the “undesirables”, the “narrow-minded”, the “haters” and “bigots”, and removed all those who have “stopped progress”. He may even put on a show of causing a “person” to “disappear” in the same way as Christians were taken out of the world, and stating that he did so to bring the world closer to the Utopia that humankind has striven for since the dawn of time. Everything he will do will appear to be for the betterment of mankind and for the earth, and by his actions, he will appear to heal the earth, to cleanse the land and water of the disaster that took place. Every question that you have for him, he will appear to answer.
On the outside, and on the surface, he will appear to be holy, righteous, good, and kind, and because of his charisma and power, the powers that will be will give him all the power he desires. The truth is, this person will be the very antithesis of Jesus Christ. Everything he will do will really be for the express purpose of erasing the presence of Jesus Christ in this world, and to steal your very soul. He will preach “peace”, “safety”, and “prosperity”, but in reality what he will do is bring sudden and worse destruction onto the earth, such as never has been seen before. He will seek to destroy and eradicate the nation of Israel, the Jews, and all Christians, and he will set up an extermination system for all “undesirables” that Adolf Hitler could only have dreamt of in his wildest dreams….and he will be far, far more successful.
He will be a mass murderer who will be far worse than Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Pol Pot, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Che Guevara, and Joseph Staling combined. He will compel everyone on the world to swear allegiance to himself by taking a mark of identification. He will demand worship from the world, and the Bible says that everyone will worship him.
His False Prophet will preach him, and instruct everyone to give him due and proper reverence, and proclaim him as god. Finally, he will appear to be assassinated in front of the whole world (and this could happen at the beginning of the Tribulation Period), and though he will appear to die and be pronounced dead, the whole world will see him rise from the dead. Friend and reader, all of this will serve one purpose, and one purpose only, in the end: your soul being cast forever into the Lake of Fire, and salvation being lost to you forever. Further, in the 2nd half of his reign, the Antichrist will desecrate a newly-built Jewish Temple, proclaim himself god, and the world will undergo horrible disasters, far worse than are described here. Three-quarters to four-fifths of the world’s population will perish, and the world, the Earth itself, unalterably destroyed. However, the ultimate danger is to you, unsaved friend and reader!
If you take the mark of the Antichrist, you will be forever lost, with no hope of Salvation, and, if you survive the disasters that will come as a result of the Rapture, you very well could be killed in any of the numerous, Godly judgments that will fall upon this Earth. You may think that you will be able to hold off, and not take the mark, but you will be compelled to, either by hunger or fear of torture and death. The only way to escape this is to trust in Jesus Christ today!
Conclusion: The Day After the Rapture – A Place You Don’t Want to Be!!!!
With all of this chaos, violence, warfare, crime, bloodshed, disaster, and destruction taking place following the rapture, the world at this time will be a place that nobody really wants to be!
After the publications and the incredible popularity of The Left Behind Series, many Christians stated that they wanted to “skip the Rapture” because they wanted to stay behind and help people.
In this writer’s opinion, the reason for many Christians wanting to “stay behind” and “help” unbelievers is because of the basic lightness of the situation and state of affairs as described in Left Behind. However, what writer could accurately describe the literal depravity, the total chaos, the pure debauchery, and the absolute madness and confusion that will reign in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks following the Rapture? What film, movie, or television program could accurately portray the deep depravity of a society wholly without the presence of Jesus Christ, the total absence of the Heavenly Father, and the removal of the protective, staying hand of the Holy Ghost? What newspaper article or radio program could effectively show what “life” will be like on Earth after the world’s most (literally and no pun intended) Earth-shaking event that the Rapture will be?
Friend, reader, if you are a Christian and you want to “skip” the Rapture in order to “help” unbelievers, you must understand that this world will be like a prison without the guards. It will literally be hell on earth, and though there will be a season of peace, the events of the Tribulation will be horrific. No Christian should ever “want” to go through such a time. It will be a time in the world’s history that will surpass every horror story writer’s imagination, and every slasher-film’s worst nightmares.
Non-believer, this event is something, as well, that you will not want to be a part of. Despite the fact that you’d be lost and without recourse should you die before the Rapture, if you survive until then, and live to see the day when every true Christian is taken away from the world, you will likely fall under the control of the demonic, satanic spirit if chaos, debauchery, and total uninhibitedness. You will likely fall under the power, the control, and the charisma of the Antichrist, and should you take his mark, as it is written of in Revelation 13, you will be totally and completely lost. I beg you, come to Jesus Christ today, won’t you?
When the Rapture comes, or if death takes you before, you will spend eternity with him, and sin and all of the trappings and temptations that come with it, will no longer be a problem. Christian, if you are praying to “miss out on” or “skip” the Rapture, be careful what you pray for!!!! Do not be like Lot’s wife!! Though Lot’s wife was taken out of the city of Sodom before it was destroyed, she turned back, despite the angels’ warnings, and because of this, she herself was lost! In praying to miss the Rapture so that you can “help people”, you may get your wish: just as Lot’s wife turned back, so the LORD may allow you, too, to turn, back, but this will only result in your destruction.
Please understand that, despite the sanitizing of the situation of the world as portrayed in Left Behind, the tribulation will be no party, it will be the most dangerous time for Christians in all of history, and believing in Jesus Christ at that time will be the ultimate test of your faith.
Prayer – Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. This hasn’t been an easy lesson, Lord Jesus, to write, or to present to the people who will come and read. This message isn’t one, O LORD, of ease, warm fuzzies, and ear tickling. It is hard, difficult to swallow, and makes people feel uneasy. However, Father, we pray, that if it causes even one person to come to know you as LORD and Saviour, then it is worth it. We pray, LORD, for salvation for everyone who reads this today. We pray that this message – as serious as it is – will go out far and wide, and will reach people who do not know you, but are searching. We pray your special and wonderful blessing and anointing on all who read this today. We pray all of this, Father, in the Precious, saving, redeeming, Name above all names, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Verse to Remember:
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
– Revelation 3.10
End Notes, References
