The Rapture & End Times Collapse
I deliberately chose the title of this article as I want to get your attention about our culture. The variances of the words downfall or decline do not seem to have the same impact.
Many people are asking, “What is going on in the world? Nothing is right and everything seems to be failing or coming apart.” How many times have you heard this? Or how many times have you thought, “Just what is going on?”
While the answer to this question is multi-faceted, the word “world” covers it. Let us face it: the worldwide problems are political, economic, moral, terrorist, war-like, and just about everything else undesirable. The problem in America is easy to answer as we are becoming a godless nation. As we removed God from everything, God has lessened his holding hand from us, and morality has almost disappeared.
The major problem is the media news which only covers one area, the secular concerns. Most people can relate to sports, fashion, celebrities, politics, the economy, or storms. In fact, our so-called news always seems to be “late breaking” as if we need to be immediately aware of everything. What very few realize is there is another side to the news; and what is happening can affect our eternal destiny. Yes, it is the spiritual side of life or religion as some may call it. The problem has been that most people are not aware of the real cause.
Fortunately, what Paul proclaimed in one of his letters has universal as well as historical impetus: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
In America, many pronouncements are insane. Normal people wonder how anyone could say such things. Rather than giving the devil his due as the saying goes, I will not list incredible nuances of crazy thoughts and shouting curses. Instead, I have chosen just one seemingly impossible topic for illustration. It happened in numerous late-night talk shows on September 18, 2018.
What was discussed were the private parts of the President of the United States! Even worse, what about the fools in the audience who jeered and laughed? And do not give me that “Freedom of Speech” rhetoric. Common decency and morality should be maintained in a free society. Freedom does not mean a license to say or do anything you want. Why has the president’s family also been a victim of ridiculous slurs? Or has our culture become subliminally reprehensible, indecent, and coarse? Yes, it is happening. Ergo, the title of this work as Washington tries to sort our problems with committees.
For some, the major world problem is climate control. For others, it is wondering if they are male or female. For the majority of people, it is their future as they are worried about the everyday reports of every broken toenail in the world, or something equally obtuse.
How has this happened? Let’s take a look at the colonial Bible schools. Whoops, we can’t as they have become godless socialistic think tanks. Let’s examine the school Bibles for an answer… Well, we can’t there either because they were thrown out. And what happened to the Ten Commandments on the courthouse walls? The people who were offended by them had them removed. Where can we find how our culture decayed?
When all else fails, look to the scriptures as we should have done in the first place. As usual, the Bible gives us the answers we seek. With the unruly street protests with screaming people in black hoodies, and the salacious rantings on the internet as well as in our printed media, we have our answer. “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17). A good example are the RINOS in Congress.
The most probable cause of the reprobate citizenry was spoken by Isaiah thousands of years ago: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so I should heal them” (repeated in John 12:40). Also, “The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going” (John 12:35b).
Along with the foolish signs and protest outcries of some people, we have to examine the fake news from our media. Scriptures are replete with God’s hatred of lying as expressly stated in the ninth commandment about not bearing false witness. Here are some other reminders:
“You shall not speak falsely to one another” (Leviticus 19:11).
“Truthful lips endure forever; the lying tongue is only for a moment” (Proverbs 12:19).
“Let dumbness strike their lying lips that speak insolence against the just in pride and scorn” (Psalm 31:18).
“Falsehood, I hate and abhor” (Psalm 119:163). “Stop lying to one another” (Colossians 3:9).
“See to it that you put an end to lying” (Ephesians 4:25).
How are the political parties faring if we look at spiritual aspects? Clearly, the historical parties have changed. While the Republican Party is still conservative, the Democratic Party is leaning toward socialism. Furthermore, the 2018 Democratic Party platform is widely supportive of LBGT as well as abortion by supporting judges who favor abortion and oppose any law against abortion They also want to abolish the death penalty.
Consider how should God’s word affect the media and politicians? The answer is contained in the book of Proverbs, chapter six, which actually states the seven things God hates or considers an abomination:
A proud look
A lying tongue
Hands that shed innocent blood
A heart that devises wicked plans
Feet that are swift in running to evil
A false witness who speaks lies
And one who sows discord among brethren
Next, we will examine how are Christian churches handling the decline of the spiritual area? Answer: not very well. From an overall standpoint, many have accepted the diversity paradigm along with the prosperity gospel. Some of the mega churches are preaching the mega gospel, but almost none are preaching End-Time prophecy, sin, abortion, the Rapture, nor what awaits them in the tribulation period after the Raptured Christians are gone.
One theological area has risen in some churches involving God’s promises to Abraham and his successors. The belief is that, since the Jews did not accept Jesus as Messiah, they have forfeited the covenant promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This act is called Replacement Theology, and the leader is the Catholic church along with some Protestant churches who believe they inherit the promises.
The Roman church is also very active trying to influence non-Catholic churches to become vaticanized once again. They are also mutating historical doctrines and dogmas by Pope Francis’ commentaries. In addition, they are trying to acquire management of the historic Jerusalem sites. Among Christian churches, they are prime in joint worship with the Muslims.
Newer churches, temples, or communities are involved in satanic worship as well as Wiccan activities. Some of these newer churches are actually increasing their membership due to our ersatz psyche. I can best illustrate this by an example my pastor once shared. After he explained the Christian salvation message, the comment was, “That seems too easy,” and the person left.
Folks cannot accept the fact that Jesus died for us and our works avail nothing without Him. Incredibly, there are atheistic communities and even an artificial intelligence church. In addition, sadly, some churches have become liberal bastions of trivial beliefs. God foresaw this years ago and warned us, “These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13).
Does it seem that we are stressing the negative aspects of our culture? Of course we are! We are indeed living in the End Times as the Last Generation.
Again, we turn to scripture to see if it confirms our declining culture and points the way. Jesus said His coming will be similar to the times of Noah when He had to remove earth’s population except for Noah’s family (Matthew 24:37-39). Sin was so manifest then that evil was always in the minds of all the people (Genesis 6:5).
We can also examine Hosea’s prophetic word to Israel in the 8th century B.C. and see if our culture today is a mirror image: “There is no faithfulness; no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying, and murder, stealing and adultery. They break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this, the land mourns and all who live in it waste away” (Hosea 4:1-3a).
In the New Testament, Paul’s word to Timothy is alarming in itself as we read, “But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1). He then repeated the sins of mankind just as Hosea did, and even expanded the list. Considering our descending culture, where are we believers headed?
Once again, God shows His love for His people living within this failing culture. Both Isaiah and Paul describe a divine rescue. Although Isaiah directed his words toward the Israeli people, they are a foretelling of our destiny in these End times: “But your dead shall live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give back her dead’ (Isaiah 26:19).
The words of Paul are centered in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “Those who have died in Christ will rise first. Then, we the living, the survivors, will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And then we shall always be with the Lord!”
It is the Rapture of the Church. Are you Rapture Ready for the high ride of your life? If not, reflect on God’s promise that His Son died for you, and by believing in Him you will not perish (John 3:16).
The people that remain after the Rapture will endure the evil machinations and massacres of the Anti-Christ as well as the wrath of God for the sins of the world. It is folly to believe that you can endure this seven-year tribulation period after the Rapture while awaiting the second coming of Christ to rule in Jerusalem.
Jesus’ arms are outstretched to all of us as He pleads, “Come to me now.”