If the Rapture were tomorrow.
What if the Rapture were to happen tomorrow? What if we knew it and were sure of it? I think many of us are somewhat calloused by the false alarms the we have had in that past decade or so. Many of us were looking up, so to speak back in 2015 and 16 with the 4 blood moons. Many of us got pretty excited about September 23 of 2017 with what was referred to by many as the "Revelation 12 sign." Many of us get pretty excited every year at the Feast of Trumpets, which has been touted as the next feast that needs to be fulfilled, as the 4 spring feasts have already experienced their New Testament fulfillments...also it does contain a "last trump," as mentioned in the Biblical passages that most directly discuss the Rapture.
Well, the Feast of Trumpets has just passed again this year, and we're still here. I recently heard one watchmen comment that perhaps the day of the Rapture could very likely be today (September 27, 2023). Some say that this is is a Jubilee year (every 50 years in the Jewish calendar); there seems to be some debate regarding such things. Nonetheless, more about the Year of Jubilee can be read about in Leviticus 25. Some are saying that this year, with the feast of Trumpets being on a Jubilee year, that the last trump, or trumpet blast (called for in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 that will announce the Rapture of the Church) is actually 10 days after the end of the normal celebration of Rosh Hashanah; the Feast of Trumpets, this year, being a Jubilee year. Many see this as significant because many see the last trump of the Feast of Trumpets being, or at least corresponding with the last trump spoken about in those chapters, and with the proposed parallels and foreshadowings between the rapture and the year of Jubilee.
This, combined with all of the chaos in the world, that seems to so well setting the stage for a world governmental system, with the accompanying technology, accelerating evil of all sorts, and globalist mindset that is prophesied for the the 7 year Tribulation, which I firmly believe cannot start until after the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 5:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:7, etc.) is rather compelling. One can also argue that the few signs I mentioned above, along with other things that I did not mention, are all foreshadowing signs leading up to the Rapture taking place today.
This indeed could be true...as any of the other days speculated about could have been the Rapture day, for all we knew. Please understand that none of the reputable watchmen (those looking close at at the signs of the times and taking it to Scripture) have said anything to the effect of "Thus sayeth the Lord, that day X is the day that the Rapture will occur." It is all been stated in the context of "this COULD very well be it." Actually, I think that this is a good thing to be doing; the Lord promises the crown of Righteousness to those who love His coming (2 Timothy 4:8).
Could the Rapture happen today? Sure; it could happen any day, and it indeed will happen when God makes it happen; He's got it all planned out. The talk about it being today, with all of the rather compelling arguments, got my attention. I though about this possibility yesterday quite a bit, yet I still spent plenty of time in the flesh, where God does not want us to spend our time, as opposed to in the Spirit, where God does want us to spend our time (Galatians 5:16-24). I found myself getting inappropriately angry about rather silly things. I found myself not prioritizing as I should have. I found my mind drifting to places it does best not to drift to, etc. Is this really a way to be spending one's last time here on earth? What if you knew that in 24 hours you could invest all of your money in an absolutely sure thing that would have a 10,000% yield within 5 minutes of investing? Would you be squandering your money on stupid things during that 24 hours? Granted, I know that this is not a perfect analogy, for many reasons. Nonetheless, are we wantonly and consistently wasting opportunities to please and serve God, knowing that time here on earth is very short?
If you have read any of my material on this site or elsewhere, or know me at all, you know that I am not suggesting that taking opportunities to serve or please God have anything to do with getting or keeping your salvation; salvation is completely given and kept by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.); Jesus paid the price for this IN FULL (Hebrews 1:3, etc.). However, our service and obedience to God please Him, and this is that basis on which He grants our eternal rewards; salvation is a gift and it is 100% free to any one who would believe the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and trust Christ as Savior (do it now, if you haven't yet done so), yet rewards are earned (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, etc.). Any day could be our last; again the Rapture could happen at any time. However even if it is delayed for many years, your death may not be. Once the Rapture occurs, or your heart beats it last, you will have earned all of the rewards that you are ever going to be able to earn, and this is what you will carry for eternity. We must ask ourselves; me with you most certainly; is what we are investing our resources; time, money, etc., getting us anything other than very temporary gratification of some sort? What may it be costing us eternally? So often we live as if this side of eternity is the only thing that truly matters; almost even as if it were somehow going to last forever, even though we may readily say otherwise; even though we intellectually know that it could very well be over in the blink of an eye. May our prayer be that we are able to obey the admonition of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:16:
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
The Spirit is eternally minded; the flesh is not. May we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17); keeping that line open, so to speak, to God, so we are empowered by Him to conduct ourselves in ways that are going to be a blessing to us, to Him, and to others. Both this very temporary side of eternity; before Rapture or rupture (either of which could be extremely soon for any/all of us) as well as on the never ending other side. May we all, by the grace of God make the most of the time that we have left here on earth for maximum eternal blessing. God bless.
JJR
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