The attitude of many is that this world will just keep going on as it has since the beginning of time. As stated in 2 Peter 3:3, “knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
What is difficult for many to understand is that our Heavenly Father is not bound by time as we are, as He created time for us. Genesis 1:16-18; “And God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that this was good.”
Follow this with 2 Peter 3:8-9; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any perish, but all should reach repentance.”
If we were to take a serious look at what Jesus, Paul, John, Peter, and others said about this earth near the end of this era, we would see that the time is here right now. Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
All the issues taken separately have been here off and on throughout the ages. However, in the last decade or so, they have come together worldwide. During that time, anything to do with Jesus and Christianity has been subject to rejection, ridicule, and persecution. In some places on this planet, just to be a follower of Jesus can lead to martyrdom.
Paul gave a fairly thorough list in 2 Timothy 3: 1-5; “But understand this that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people.”
On May 14, 1948, Israel once again became a sovereign nation after almost 2,000 years. The United States was first to recognize Israel as a true independent nation. From day one, they were attacked from just about every side by surrounding nations. The fact that it is still a nation and has survived all attacks is a testimony of our Father’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3; “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Our Father did not let Israel become a nation once again just to let it be destroyed. Jeremiah 29: 11-14; “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with your whole heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Before returning to their land, Israel was barren and hardly fit for anyone to live there. Even Samuel Clements (Mark Twain) commented after visiting there that it was almost uninhabitable. However, since 1948, Israel has become a very wealthy nation. They have found oil and natural gas deposits, and the people have turned the worthless soil into fertile ground for growing numerous crops. The main issue today is that the majority of the Jewish people do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah.
Worldwide, Messianic Jews, those who believe Jesus is their Messiah, make up about 3% of their total population. Paul talks about a “partial hardening of the Jews until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in” (Romans 11:25). Once the Rapture takes place, and the antichrist comes forward to rule the earth, God will turn His full attention again on Israel. Romans 11:26 states, “And in this way, all Israel will be saved.”
We’re told by Paul in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
This passage tells us where we are today. This means this era is getting oh so short, and we are nearer than ever to being with the Lord. In 1841, Sarah Bethany Adams (1805-1848) wrote a most wonderful hymn titled “Nearer My God To Thee.”
1.) Nearer My God to Thee; nearer to Thee. Even though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer My God to Thee; nearer My God to Thee; nearer to Thee.
2.) Though like a wanderer, the sun gone down. Darkness be over me, my rest a stone. Yet in my dreams I’d be, nearer My God to Thee; nearer My God to Thee; nearer to Thee.
3.) There let the way appear, steps into Heaven; all that thou sendeth me, in mercy given. Angels to beckon me, nearer My God to thee; nearer My God to Thee; nearer to Thee.
4.) Then with my waking thoughts, bright with Thy praise, out of my stony griefs, Bethel I’ll raise. So by my woes to be, nearer My God to Thee; nearer My God to Thee; nearer to Thee.
5.) Or, if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky, sun, moon and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly. Still all my song will be; Nearer My God To Thee; Nearer My God To Thee; Nearer To Thee.
While there are issues for all true believers to be uncomfortable with, we should be rejoicing that God’s word is absolute truth and the next major event on earth’s timeline to take place is the Rapture of all our Savior’s precious flock.
The details are found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. To be included requires three things from us, which are found in Romans 10:9-13. We are to admit we are sinners and cannot save ourselves. This applies to every human on earth according to Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23. All of us are deserving of eternal death without the grace and mercy of the Father because of His Son’s sacrifice for us (Romans 6:23).
Second, we are to believe that Jesus came to earth as a human to provide the perfect, sinless blood sacrifice for all who would receive and accept Him. He was crucified, died, and was raised by the Heavenly Father on the third day.
Finally, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. This does not mean we will live a perfect, sinless life from that point on, but when we do sin and ask the Father for forgiveness, He will do so, as given in 1 John 1:8-10.
These are the three steps: Admit (confess), Believe, and Call on Jesus to be our Savior forever. There are no human works to be done, and no amount of money or other valuables could purchase even one second in Heaven.
With each passing moment, we are rapidly approaching the end of this era. The following 7-years will be worse than anything this earth has gone through yet. Today would not be too early to get your reservation for eternal life with our Savior. We are not guaranteed another day here.
Jesus is waiting for any and all who wish to be saved through Him to call out to Him. Once the call has been made, the Holy Spirit will be inside you. When the Holy Spirit is removed to make way for the ultimate antichrist to appear (2 Thessalonians 2:7), all whom He has indwelt will be removed from this earth and will rise up to meet our Jesus in the air. This will be God’s promise to keep us from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10)
No one has sinned so greatly that the Blood of our Savior cannot cover. The unforgivable sin is to not have received and accepted Jesus before taking your last breath here. You will be forever thankful if you have Jesus in your heart right now.
Shalom! (Peace) Maranatha! (Come, Lord Jesus.)