As I peruse videos on YouTube, I can not help but be amazed at the number of channels that are trying to analyze and set the Rapture date. Truly, it is almost comical to watch all the people talking about the clues they think they are finding hidden in Scripture or deduced from the Jewish calendar as coinciding with the Jewish holidays. So, I thought it might be good to take a step back and talk about some of the simple things to consider as we watch the unbelievable changes in the world around us and consider the return of the King.
First, there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus is coming back to gather His church to become His bride at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Second, there is no doubt in my mind, that at the end of the 7 years of tribulation, that Jesus will touch down on the Mount of Olives and begin the taking of His kingdom from the Satanically impowered antichrist. Third, there is no doubt in my mind that the Tribulation’s beginning is marked by the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and the “man of sin”. All these are according to Scripture. But, as Professor Jack Riggs, my theology teacher from Bible College said, “The Rapture could happen days or years before the peace treaty, we just don’t know”. He would go on to point out that the Church age would end with the Rapture and the last 7 years of the Jewish age would resume with the peace treaty. (Daniel’s 70 weeks) After the last 7 years of the Jewish age, the Kingdom would begin. Therefore, does the Church age end and the Jewish age resume immediately? Well, you might consider how the Jewish age ended at the cross and then it would be 60 days later at Pentecost which is usually considered as the beginning of the Church age. So, we do have a precedent that God does things somewhat differently than we would expect. With all this in mind, let us take a macro view of events that might lead up to the coming Rapture.
If we look at the Tribulation, I think that there are two major characteristics that stand out. One would be the rise of a leader that would have the charisma to unite the entire globe in support of a one world government. Second would be the closed economic system that will be used to control everyone and everything. Therefore, the discussion should be, “How long after the Rapture would it take to raise up a prolific and charismatic world leader and how long would it take to build a closed economic system”? Let us talk about the second item first. In short, the USA would have to lose its status as the world reserve currency, paper money would have to be replaced with a digital form of currency, the software would have to be in place to accommodate these transactions and it would have to done on a global basis, not just a national basis. All of this would have to be linked to banking, points of purchase, medical as well as monitored by government (global) using a social score. Individual governments would have to be enticed to co-operate to form one government. That is where the person of the antichrist comes in. With all the posturing and struggling that governments do to ensure that they have the upper hand in how things are going to go in the world, it is no wonder that we have a division of ideologies that keep this world apart. Up until now, there has been no one with the kind of “character” that could bring everything together. I would suggest (regardless of your opinion) that Donald Trump has come the closest to gaining global respect. I know the press and the left crucified him here in the states, but the rest of the world really respected him as a strong leader and someone who could not be taken advantage of. He was a tough negotiator. One last detail is that the antichrist will gain support by many governments handing there sovereignty over to him. Other governments will be taken down by him.
A surprising analysis
If the Rapture happened today, it may take quite a few years for all this to come into being. On the other hand, it could very well be that much of what I have outlined here may be witnessed by Christians prior to our leaving. We may see individual governments do away with paper money and implement a digital currency. It may be that at some point, all the individual systems will be linked together and placed under the control of the “Man of Sin”. Of all the nations in the world today, the USA represents a rare breed of individual who is somewhat of a rebel at heart, meaning that no one is going to tell us what to do, nor will we cow-tow to anyone. Therefore, it might be that we may fall as a nation. That could be economically or politically or in some manner that we would not emerge with the ability to fend off a global take over of our population. Last, we may see the rise of someone who could bring most of the world together in ideology.
In short, we are seeing some of these things beginning. We are witnessing the erosion of the greatest economy that there ever was. We are seeing the demise of the strength of America as a country that stood against tyrants and protected nations that were unable to protect themselves from other evil, dominating countries. We are now witnessing the death of a great culture and watching it be replaced with nonsense thinking, false history and self-hatred. It could well be that we may witness further erosion and downfall before we witness the return of Jesus. So, would you be able to survive in this changing world if you had to live here for 3 or 4 more years before Jesus returned? Would you be able to find an inner peace while everything you held dear was destroyed and changed before your very eyes? I think we have a way to go before Jesus comes. I say this because there are still some more changes that must take place before the antichrist can take over this world. I think that Jesus will take us at a point just before the man of sin negotiates his peace treaty with Israel. That would mean that there will be someone with the political power and sway to bring about this event. I see no one on the horizon yet who could do that, therefore, we may be here for a bit longer and we may witness the rise of a powerful political leader that will do great things. Just my thoughts on the practical appearance of global events in the light of Scripture. I expect Jesus at any time, but I am also prepared to go the distance until He does come…are you?
