******UPDATE: 10/28/2023*****
With the impending war surrounding Israel, The Rapture has once again become a hot topic among Christians. Some of us believe it is imminent. Some believe we will go through some of the tribulation. There are many theories and various levels of panic and/or calm depending. I, for one, am waiting to be taken up. I thought it pertinent to revisit this End Times series, as it might just be the last time.
****UPDATE: 3/18/2020****
The COVID-19 pandemic should be driving people to church, but our churches have been shutting their doors to “live stream” services. The unsaved will likely not respond to this tactic as much as they would to meeting face-to-face with Christians.
Fear typically drives unbelievers to God. After 9/11, churches were filled. After the Las Vegas mass shooting a couple years ago, churches were filled.
Suffering leads to revival. It has been like that throughout history. However, no revival seems to be happening right now. Something is different. This feels supernatural.
I believe we are moving closer to the End Times.
WHAT COMES NEXT
In Part 1 of “The End Times,” I focused mainly on why I believe that we are currently in the final period of life on Earth. For this part, I want to focus on my thoughts about what is to come and how we can see more prophecy playing out in the near future.
THE RAPTURE (AND THOSE LEFT BEHIND)
There are essentially three main circles of thought of when the Rapture will occur. The first is before or pre-tribulation prior to the full seven year tribulation. The second is “pre-wrath” or mid-tribulation that happens after 3.5 years, before the abomination of desolation and Great Tribulation. The third is after or post-tribulation after the seven years are over.
I can see some merit to each position, and there are verses used to support each one. However, I personally lean toward a pre-trib position. If I had to quantify it, I’m probably about 85% sure it is pre-trib, maybe 15% mid-trib, and 0% post-trib.
Here is the defense of my pre-tribulation Rapture position:
First and foremost, Jeremiah 30:7 (in the midst of a passage talking about the End Times) says, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.”
The tribulation is the time of JACOB’S (that is Israel’s) trouble. The Lord promises to restore Judah and Israel to their land (verse 3-4), which happened in 1948. Keep in mind, that Israel is not as much a religious state at the moment as it is a political one. In fact, many Jews in Israel are practical atheists. In order to restore (or save) the nation of Israel from their doomed state, they must endure the tribulation which will result in the two witnesses, the 144,000, and the rest of their converts who refuse the mark of the beast throughout the tribulation (read Revelation if you’re still unfamiliar with these passages).
I see no reason why the Church should have to “endure” Jacob’s trouble. After all, we Christians are a Bride who is “not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
This is the Rapture. There will be a “trump of God” and Christians will meet in the air with Jesus and the “dead in Christ” – I believe this describes those who believed in Christ but died prior to the Gospel of salvation presented by Paul – shall rise first. We Christians will be with our Savior from that moment for all eternity.
A “trump” is a sound. This is different from, but related to the trumpet, which is an instrument. The trumpet produces a trump.
In Revelation 1, Jesus Christ was speaking to John with “a great voice, as of a trumpet” (verse 10). This means that the sound of the Lord’s voice can be a trump. This will be important to remember as we move forward.
The only other time the word “trump” is used in the entire King James Bible is 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
This, again, is a clear reference to the Rapture. First off, this is a “mystery” because there was no mention of the Rapture (as we know it) until Paul wrote about it in 1 Corinthians. The Old Testament does not speak of it directly (beyond Enoch, which I will discuss in a moment), especially since the Church that will be Raptured did not exist until Christ died.
“We shall not all sleep” means that not everyone will die (because “sleep” is often used as a synonym for “die” throughout the Bible). This also seems like a contradiction with “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” in Hebrews 9:27.
Men were appointed to die (physically) once. However, we know of a few exceptions to this. Enoch walked with God and was “translated” (Raptured) according to Hebrews 11:5 prior to judgment (keep that in mind when determining the time of the Rapture in reference to the tribulation – Enoch was taken before judgment, and so will Christians). This is why many theologians believe that Enoch is a “type” (or shadow) of the Christian Church.
Elijah is often thought of as another exception, but I believe he is one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 (as he is with Moses during the “transfiguration” in Luke 9). This means he actually WILL die at some point, though he was taken up without dying back in 2 Kings 2.
And, obviously, Christians who are Raptured without dying are the largest exception to Hebrews 9:27. They (hopefully WE) will never die.
Now, back to “the last trump” in 1 Corinthians 15. Some take that to mean the seventh trumpet of God’s judgment in Revelation. This “last trumpET” can be found in Revelation 11:15-19, but this corresponds to the Judgment of Nations (or the Sheep and Goats found in Matthew 25:32) AFTER the Second Coming – without any sort of Rapture at all.
Matthew 24
Matthew 24:40-41 is often used as the go-to passage, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” This is where the term “left behind” comes from.
The issue with using Matthew 24 as the description is that this passage is not actually a reference to Christians being taken away. There are multiple issues for Christians in this chapter.
- The book of Matthew is written primarily TO the Jewish people. It begins with Christ’s genealogy linking him to David to prove his authority as rightful heir to the throne, it the only book in which the physical “kingdom of heaven” (which will be in Israel during the Millennial reign, per Revelation 20) is mentioned – the kingdom of God is spiritual (it is internal, per Luke 17:20-21), and both were represented by Jesus while He was on earth.
- “He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved” (v. 13). This is not how we Christians are saved – by grace through faith, NOT OF WORKS (Ephesians 2:8-9). Enduring to the end would require doing something (works) beyond faith.
- Preceding the “left behind” verses mentioned above, Matthew says “AFTER the tribulation” (v. 29), speaks of the parable of the fig tree (which is a reference to Israel) in v. 32-33, and refers to the “coming of the Son of man” which is the Second Coming AFTER the tribulation.
- Verses 30-31 are used to describe the Rapture (notice the sound of a trumpet and gathering of the elect) – “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Notice that “ALL the tribes of the earth . . . shall SEE the Son of man coming . . . ” 1 Thessalonians 5 describes the Rapture as Christ coming “as a thief in the night” – which is not exactly an event visible to ALL the tribes of the earth. Another problem is the use of the term “his elect.”
Sure, our Calvinist friends will be convinced that “elect” means Christian, but I am not so convinced. Isaiah 45:4 clearly refers to “Israel mine elect.” Romans 11:17 speaks of Christians (the wild olive tree) being “grafted” into the olive tree (Israel) through the blood of Christ. This is why Paul refers to Abraham as the “father of us all” in Romans 4:16.
First Peter 1:2 brings it home, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
“His elect” is Israel, though we Christians can BECOME elect through salvation. In the context of Matthew 24 – these are Jews.
There is a Jewish Rapture in Revelation 14:14-16, “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”
It seems to me that Matthew 24’s “Rapture” is about Israel (“mine elect”) being gathered (reaped) at the Second Coming.
When Will The Rapture Occur?
There are many schools of thought on this. Some say we cannot know the day or hour, some people try to set specific dates, most just kind of ignore the “signs of the times” and don’t worry about it. When it comes to the seasons, the Feast of Trumpets (mid-September) is a good time, especially when we consider that the Feasts in Leviticus 22-23 also represent the transition from the Church age to the end times atonement of the Jews who have historically rejected Christ. We see the death of Christ (Passover), broken body of Christ (Unleavened Bread), resurrection of Christ (Firstfruits), and the Church age (Pentecost) that point to the return of Christ (Trumpets), cleansing of Israel (Atonement), and finally the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem (Tabernacles).
As you can see, the Feast of Trumpets seems more like the Second Coming than the Rapture (which makes sense given that the Rapture is not for Jews and would not have a corresponding feat).
There is an interesting passage tucked away in Song of Solomon 2:10-13 that presents a better time frame (in my opinon):
10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away [Rapture]. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone [Late Spring]; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land [Spring]. 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell [sounds like the “parable of the fig tree” referenced in Matthew 24]. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away [Rapture].
If I was to hazard a guess, we are looking at a late spring Rapture.
Furthermore, 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits, the Israelites were to offer up the Feast of Pentecost to God. This corresponds with the 50 days after the Resurrection (Easter) on which the Holy Spirit came down (Acts 2) at…Pentecost. This would also be late spring.
It is entirely plausible that the Rapture will be mid-May (the next Feast of Pentecost is May 19, 2024) in the next year or two.
Why do I think it will be so soon? Let’s look at the math.
The Year of the Rapture
The initial premise agreed upon by the majority of Christians is that Adam and Eve were created around 4000BC. Jesus was born around 1 AD (kind of obvious). He died when he was 33, so that would be about 33AD.
Second Peter 3:8b says, “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
We also know from the Genesis account that the Lord created the earth in six days and rested on the seventh.
So, the logic is this: the earth right now is about 6000 years old (representing the six days of creation) and we will soon be at the Millennial (1000 year) reign of Christ (Revelation 20:2-7) that represents the seventh day on which God will again rest as the Devil will be chained up.
That means that we are almost to the end of the “sixth day,” so to speak. Now, if we use Christ’s death (spring of 33 AD) as the primary focus and add 2000, we come to 2033 for Christ’s return. Subtract seven for the tribulation, and we are sitting at 2026. The biggest “x factor” in the calculation is the calendar.
We use the Gregorian calendar now, but we switched from the Julian, which is different than the Mayan, Assyrian, Islamic, Jewish, etc. Because of this switch, the Gregorian is a couple of years off, so it is not actually 2023 right now.
Most scholars contend that Christ was actually born between 2 and 4 BC, which would put his death between 2029 and 2031. Well, 2022 and 2023 (spring) is over now. That puts us in line of 2024!
My father actually explained all this to me back when I was a child in the 1990s in which the world seemed a thousand years away from ending. He predicted 2023 for at least the last thirty years, and I thought he was crazy.
Now, look where we are at in 2023. Global war (originating in Israel of all places), global pandemics, global famines, global economic collapse on the horizon (The Great Reset is here), global protests, and global civil wars within dozens of countries (including a fracturing of the United States).
Time is ticking!
But Why Pre-Tribulation?
I must admit that many of the “pre-trib” arguments can also be used to support the “mid-trib” position. The common ground between these groups is the rejection of the “post-trib” position (which I believe I debunked in the Matthew 24 section).
Using some logic, if the “man of sin” was revealed (2 Thess. 2) and we went through the first half of the tribulation, every Christian would be ringing the bell for the upcoming Abomination of Desolation during which Antichrist proclaims himself as God and the GREAT tribulation (3.5 years of suffering) would begin (and the “mid-trib” would have us Raptured).
It makes much more sense that we would not be here to recognize and be a thorn in the side of Antichrist like that. Even if we account for the “strong delusion,” we have to figure out who is “taken out of the way” first. If “he who now letteth [restrain]” is the Holy Spirit, then these cannot be Christians because the Spirit indwells those who are born again. If “he who now letteth” are Christians…then we are taken away (Raptured). Either way, WE WILL NOT BE HERE when the man of sin is revealed at the BEGINNING of the tribulation.
Some have pointed to the fact that the Church (at least the word) is no longer mentioned beyond the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 (though I must admit, this is largely speculation).
Now, this is a bit controversial in Baptist circles, but I believe that salvation reverts back to an Old Testament (faith AND works) system during the tribulation in which is it possible to lose salvation (like Saul in 1 Samuel 16:14 and Samson in Judges 16:20). I say “faith AND works” because Jews had to sacrifice animals for atonement (works) and maintain their faith until Christ died and fulfilled the law (grace…NOT OF WORKS – Ephesians 2:8-9). Old Testament style sacrifices will resume during the tribulation at some point until the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27) ends animal sacrifice for humans.
Remember, Matthew 24:13 says that they must “endure unto the end” (works) to be saved during the tribulation. The only other way to be saved is by being beheaded (Revelation 20:4) – which is also a work. Of course, faith is the only force powerful enough to drive someone to avoid the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13). So, that is how I determine a faith AND works system goes back into effect.
Furthermore, I see no reason why the Lord would leave His Bride to endure JACOB’S trouble at all. Besides, we will be enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10) BEFORE the Second Coming in verses 11-21.
What Will The Rapture Look Like?
It will be instantaneous and shocking to those left behind (as a “thief in the night” would be. People will vanish while handing money to a cashier, while driving cars and ambulances, flying planes, hugging their friends and families, eating a meal, or working.
Others will be caught up in a sinful position like robbing a store or having extra-marital sex. Remember: not all sinners are Christians, but all Christians are sinners.
This may provide additional motivation for believers. Do you want to be raptured while watching porn or getting drunk at the bar? Perhaps we should all behave more accordingly.
Those left behind will be searching for answers, and some will be more convincing than others.
I have a few theories as to how these false explanations will occur.
SECULAR EXPLANATIONS FOR THE RAPTURE
Pandemic
One theory that has emerged comes to us by way of the COVID-19 pandemic. With our churches, sporting events, festivals, and streets empty, how long would it take to notice potentially millions of people vanishing? I believe that COVID-19 was a test for authoritarian governments to see how citizens would comply with government orders. Another “pandemic” (whether natural or manufactured) or crisis (like climate change) would allow global governments to again isolate the public. If this happens again, it might provide cover for explaining why millions of people vanish from the public eye.
I believe the number of true Christians is relatively small – much smaller than polls suggest. Many people identify as Christians, but are not actually saved. Charismatics and Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, teach false gospels. The largest “Christian” denomination, Roman Catholicism, was born of pagan Roman mystery religions.
Out of the approximately 2 billion “Christians” around the world, I would not be surprised to find out that less than 10% have actually accepted Christ as Lord and savior.
Super Weapon
Another explanation might be a super-weapon. This, of course, coincides with the increase in technology and wars raging across the planet.
Military super-powers, specifically China, Israel, Germany, and the United States have always been on the forefront of weapon technology. We already know of a neutron bomb that is capable of killing people without the typical explosion and structural damage that accompanies other bombs. With further development, it may be possible to destroy people while leaving no physical trace of them behind.
One of the stated goals of “radical” (I’d say “fundamentalist”) Muslims is to rid the world of Christians—the “followers of the cross.” They might secure a weapon that could be used to target Christians, and Muslims would make for a convenient scapegoat.
When the Rapture occurs, our already corrupt media may come out and blame Iran/Hamas/Hezbollah/Taliban or a similar group of using such a weapon for a global targeting of some Christians. Those “Christians” left behind who were deceived by false doctrine but never fully accepted Christ as their savior will also serve to aid the confusion surrounding the event.
Science “Fiction”
The Leftovers on HBO did a fantastic job of presenting a scientific case for the Rapture. They explained the phenomenon as a dimentional disturbance that affected people based on their DNA. Some were taken to another dimension. Some were not.
Another sci-fi explanation is an alien or extra-terrestrial invasion or mass-scale abduction.
First of all, I believe we are being set up for this possibility. There are hundreds of films about aliens living among or attacking humans. There are an increasing number of television shows that do the same.
I detailed in my previous post about the paranormal. I truly believe that what we currently believe to be “aliens” are actually fallen angels. They can appear in humanoid forms (Genesis 18, Hebrews 13:2), and UFO sightings are increasing around the globe.
The U.S. military finally declassified the existence of the infamous Area 51 and UFOs. Other increasing global supernatural activity includes New Age healings, demonic possessions, and sightings of the Virgin Mary. As the supernatural becomes more mundane, the international community may be more open and susceptible to the possibility of extra-terrestrial life.
THE “ONE WORLDS”
The passages in the Bible of the “one worlds” are difficult to grasp if you are not a Bible believer who understands dispensationalism and typology. The one-world government is represented as a beast with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 13. The one-world currency is the “mark of the beast” found in the same chapter. The one-world religion is “MYSTERY, BABYLON” described in Revelation 17.
These are difficult passages to exegete, but I thought it important to at least provide proof-texts.
One-World Government
Of the three “one-world” occurrences, I believe we are closest to government and currency.
The apparatus for a global government has been in place since the advent of the League of Nations and exists in its current form of the United Nations. As the last empire of the United States loses its footing on the world stage, other nations will rise. Russia and China are currently vying to be the replacement for the U.S., but wars or economic collapse can easily turn power over to a global political force like the U.N. or possibly even a new global government run by a conglomerate of the most powerful nations that are seeking to maintain power by selling out sovereignty.
We have already seen this happen over the past twenty years as Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden cede United States strength to the United Nations as enforcers of economic and military justice. COVID-19 moved us closer, especially after capitulating to the WORLD Health Organization and the WORLD Economic Forum (via The Great Reset). We are almost always one global crisis away from a one-world government.
Global economies are coming to a halt. Almost every nation has been touched by this pandemic and world war appears to be coming. The opportunity for a strong leader who can unite the world to combat pestilence and economic catastrophe would be very attractive right now.
That leader could be Antichrist.
One-World Currency
We are watching the entire globe plunge into chaos as economy after economy crumbles. Several countries in Europe are on the verge of economic collapse, and the U.S. is on the same trajectory, but a few years behind.
Austerity proposals are met with violent riots and several currencies, including the dollar, are being devalued. Only artificially low interest rates are keeping the world economy from disaster. China, Russia, and countries in the Middle-East have already begun discussing abandoning the dollar as the world currency for something else. On the brink of economic collapse, is a singular currency really an unreal possibility?
What might this currency look like? Well, my personal theory is that it will be digitized. Bitcoin is currently the strongest of such currencies. It already exists, it is very successful, and there are built in hedges against inflation. There will be a point in which there will be no more available bitcoins, which is how they promise its strength will not be compromised.
If something like Bitcoin is the one-world currency. It is easier to use a mobile device to trade coins than to carry physical tender. We already do this with the dollar via Apple Pay, Venmo, et al.
**Since the original posting, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) are becoming more prominent. China already has one, and the United States is absolutely moving toward a “digital dollar,” though there is significant push back from the Right. Again, COVID-19 got the ball rolling faster than I ever imagined. –10/28/2023.
With further advances in technology, it would be easier still to simply have a sort of barcode tattooed or a tiny chip implanted just under the skin of your hand. This “mark” could also hold your identification and medical files that are also digitized.
Imagine the convenience of having one tiny device that is always connected to your person that allows access to every good and service that you will ever need. Of course, Christians reading this might recognize this scenario as the “Mark of the Beast.”
Revelation 13 states: 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 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.
This, my friends, could be the one-world currency, and like the upcoming governmental shift, we are in the midst of a global crisis that could change the world forever.
One-World Religion
This is the most difficult to pinpoint, especially with the divisive world we find ourselves in. On one side, we have Christianity – on the other, Islam. However, there are dozens if not hundreds of various factions, denomination, and alternative religions from atheism to Hinduism.
Right now Sunni and Shiite Muslims are killing one another. Episcopalians disagree with Baptists, Protestants fled from the Catholic Church, and most non-Catholic believers believe the “Holy Roman” church to be anything but Christian.
Atheists are doing everything they can in the American court system to blacklist Christian businesses, and Christians are retaliating by inserting their beliefs in as many public places as possible. In short, it is a mess. How, then, can we possibly have one global religion?
I believe there are two solid contenders.
Liberation Theology
Many political figures around the globe constantly call for “social justice.” This concept is the driving force behind the modern American political system, but is ingrained within religion as well.
It basically aligns liberal political ideology with Martin Luther King Jr. style religious language. Social Justice is what was preached by President Obama’s pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, through Liberation Theology. Pope Francis has also expressed his desire for global social justice, and this thread can be found throughout the Muslim community. It seems to be the uniting force behind so many major religious groups and cannot be ignored. After a major war and a Rapture of true Christians, those left behind may gladly latch on to social justice or Liberation Theology.
Charismatic Christianity
Another contender, and this is my pick for the global religion, is the new breed of New Age, postmodern, Charismatic Christianity.
Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity is one of the fastest growing religious sects in the world right now. Bethel Church in California and Hillsong Church in Australia are the posterchildren for how popular it is becoming. Many praise and worship songs performed in Baptist, Methodist, Non-Denominational, and Protestant churches alike were written by Charismatics.
The teachings of these churches resemble New Age pagan religions, and Charismatic beliefs have even infiltrated Catholicism (you can read more about this in my book).
Consider that pagan Babylonian mystery religions which later became pagan Roman mystery religions that were eventually melded in with the early Roman Catholic festivals, and it does not take a major leap to believe that MYSTERY, BABYLON is actually the Roman Catholic church.
What is particularly of note is how many of the religious and non-religious alike seem to be coalescing around a set of supernatural beliefs that are external to any one, single religious tradition to create a more abstract, hyper-personalized, postmodern, spiritual belief system that borrows from many others.
By increasing the size of the umbrella, more varied forms of religion become welcome.
At the helm of this unified religion, economy, and government is the man who will become Antichrist.
NEXT UP: THE ANTICHRIST
I will help you to identify Antichrist, where he comes from, and how he will usurp global power.
Simmons' Opinions 