We tend to view many of the historical accounts in Scripture as children’s stories. We see Noah and the Ark as a cute little cartoon, forgetting the serious truth of why Noah built the Ark. Daniel in the lion’s den usually shows Daniel petting the heads of friendly lions, but we forget that he was thrown to hungry lions because he would not bow before an idol, but God shut their mouths.

Another “cute” account is Jonah being swallowed by a whale. There is a very serious reason for this, but we tend to water down the truth. Jonah was running from God, who had asked him to warn Nineveh of coming judgment. Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to be condemned, not forgiven. Do you think that God only began caring about Gentiles after Jesus gave His life for the salvation of the world?

The truth is God loves His creation, no matter what the ethnic background is. For many years, God focused His attention on Israel, but He didn’t forget the Gentiles. That is seen very clearly in what happened in the very evil and wicked city of Nineveh. This very large city was located in ancient Assyria, and the Assyrians were very wicked; they were enemies of Israel. One day, the Lord spoke to Jonah and said, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me” (Jonah 1:2).

How would you react if God clearly told you to go to Baghdad and walk through the city warning of coming judgment? More than likely, you would do what Jonah did and run the other way! God wanted the people of Nineveh to turn from their wickedness, idol worship, and all the evil that was a part of their lives. “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD and went down to Joppa: and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3).

Jonah forgot that there is nowhere to hide from the presence of God. . It’s easy to read the story of Jonah and wonder why he ran, but I can tell you I’m thankful God hasn’t asked me to go to San Francisco or New York City or Hollywood and speak against the wickedness and evil there. What if you were asked to go spread the Gospel to Washington DC? Would you go, or would you head the other way?

God was serious about preaching against the evil found in Nineveh. When Jonah got on the boat to Tarshish, God set about changing Jonah’s mind. God sent a great wind that made even the sailors afraid. Each of those sailors cried to his own god. That’s still the problem today. Too many people don’t trust God Almighty but trust in the gods they create… the god of money, the god of sex, the god of self, and more. Like Jonah, we try to hide from God and don’t share the Gospel with any of them. While all of the wind and fear were happening, Jonah was asleep. “So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not” (Jonah 1:6).

Christians, are we sleeping? There is a major storm raging all around us, a spiritual onslaught, but we act as if there’s no problem. The battle is Spiritual, and evil is behind the storms we face, and we need spiritual armor to fight (study Ephesians chapter 6). What can we do? The answer is simple: “O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God.” God needs strong Christian soldiers fit for battle.

Jonah confessed he was Hebrew and claimed he feared the Lord. “And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). If he was in fear of the Lord, why was he running? The excuses are much like the ones we use today: “I’m afraid.” “Does God really want me to preach to them?” “They deserve judgment,” “I don’t know Scripture well enough to say anything.” Jonah knew he failed and that the storm was caused by his disobedience. “And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you” (Jonah 1:12).

Sometimes even a bad witness can be used by God. The sailors, who all had their own gods, ended up crying out to the Lord. “Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou O LORD hast done as it pleased thee” (Jonah 1:14). What a statement coming from a group of men with no faith in God! Brothers and sisters, our silence and our joining in worldly lifestyles cause us to hold our silence while the evil storms get stronger.

We know what happened next. The sailors threw Jonah overboard, but God wasn’t done with him. “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly, of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). What does that remind you of? The Scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus to give them a sign (as if He hadn’t shown many signs before). “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).

The Scribes and Pharisees wanted theatrics, but Jesus didn’t come to earth to put on a show. He was serious about His mission here. He gave His life and spent three days and three nights in the tomb, but on the third day, He arose!

Jonah was in quite a predicament. Almost as a last resort, Jonah prayed. “Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly” (Jonah 2:1). His prayer was heartfelt “And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10). Yuck! Can you imagine the mess he was? I’m sure he smelled pretty bad, too. It took a real wake-up call to get Jonah to come around to God’s will. It would have been a lot easier on him if he would have obeyed God and headed to Nineveh rather than running away.

“So Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey” (Jonah 3:2).

Now that his troubles were behind him, off he went to Nineveh. The question is, was he sincere? How often do we find ourselves in a very bad situation and pray to God for help? Oh, we make all kinds of promises. If God gets us out of the belly of the whale, we will do anything He asks. That was Jonah’s attitude, and off he went to Nineveh.

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed, and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thin:, let them not feed nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands” (Jonah 3:4-8).

Jonah wasn’t preaching the love of God but rather seemed happy to preach that God would execute judgment in forty days. Jonah didn’t want them to survive. In spite of his bad attitude, everyone in Nineveh turned to God.

God is always willing to forgive, but the repentance has to be real.

When Solomon had finished building the Temple, he called the people together, and they had a feast of dedication, and everyone was joyous. After the celebration, the Lord went to Solomon by night and told him He had heard his prayer and He was pleased with the Temple. Among other things, God told Solomon, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

These words were for the Jewish people, but when we give our lives to Christ, we are known as Christian… we are called by His name. It’s time for us to humble ourselves, pray, and truly seek God. Nineveh, a pagan Gentile city, did humble themselves before the Lord. They did turn from their wicked ways, and their judgment was delayed until they returned to their wickedness.

Jonah should have been very pleased. He survived a storm and being swallowed by a big fish, and his words to Nineveh were effective. The city repented. “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry” (Jonah 4:1). Jonah had a snit fit, and he explained to God that the reason he had run away was because he knew that if he went to Nineveh, they would repent. Jonah didn’t want that. He wanted them to face God’s judgment rather than God’s mercy. He was so upset that he asked God to take his life and let him die.

How would you feel if you witnessed to someone who was a very evil person and they surprised you and humbled themselves and repented? Would you be filled with joy and gratitude? What did Jonah do? Rather than being happy for Nineveh, Jonah pouted. “So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city” (Jonah 4:5). Jonah really wanted Nineveh to face judgment. That isn’t the way we should approach witnessing. If Jonah would have joyfully obeyed God instead of running away, he might have been able to rejoice when the whole city repented and came to know the true God.

What lesson can we learn from Jonah? There are many truths hidden in this four-chapter book. God wants everybody to come to know Him. He doesn’t want anybody to face His judgment. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

If God asks you to speak to a friend, family member, or someone you consider an enemy, will you joyfully do it? Or will you do everything you can in order to get out of witnessing? If so, you should become more comfortable with Scripture. In that way, you can have answers to questions others may have. “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

If God can use a man like Jonah, He can use you. Be obedient to His word and spread the Gospel. Judgment was coming, but Jonah didn’t want Nineveh to repent. Do you want your enemies to repent? Wake up, O sleeper. Don’t be like Jonah and run, but with humility and prayer, share the Gospel. God wants everyone to come to salvation.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

The Rapture is a wonderful promise from God. Though many Christians cannot believe it will happen, Scripture says it will.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

I do look forward to that wonderful family reunion around the throne of God. Jesus told us signs to watch for; He spoke of the coming Tribulation, not the Rapture. The Rapture will happen prior to the Tribulation. As we see the wars, famine, earthquakes, pestilence, and more growing more frequent and stronger, we know those final seven years will soon begin. We also know that Christians are not appointed to wrath, and that alone tells us we will not face the extremely troubled time of the Tribulation.

As I see signs that it’s approaching, I do get a bit frightened. There is so much wickedness and evil all around. There’s wickedness in the thoughts of people, among government leaders, the World Economic Forum, and much more. The horrid war in the Middle East is alarming not only because of the pure evil that Hamas inflicted on Israel but also the astonishing fact that so many people blame Israel for the atrocity. Even many Christians seem blind to the truth. I can only assume that they either only repeat mistruths without studying Scripture for themselves, or they don’t really believe Scripture at all. Either way, it’s a sad comment on what is being taught from the pulpits.

As I see the events leading up to the Tribulation, and knowing that the Rapture will be first, I have a strong desire to share the Gospel. For those who are left behind, it will be a time of unfathomable horrors.

What will happen after the Rapture?

The answer to that question depends upon whether or not you have truly accepted Christ as your Saviour. If you have any doubt about that, don’t delay in settling the issue now. If you think you’re a Christian, then you need to understand what it is you believe.

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23).

You need to understand that Jesus was God incarnate. He left His place in Glory to step into His creation – yes, He created everything – and to give His life for our salvation. Only God’s pure, untainted blood could purchase our redemption. Jesus was crucified and buried, and on the third day, He arose from the grave and conquered death! What perfect love He showed us! If you don’t believe this, then you need to talk to a true Christian, repent, and believe. This decision must be made prior to your death and prior to the Rapture.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

There is no second chance… no purgatory, no “lesser place of punishment” that you can work your way out of. In fact, works can in no way earn you the right to live eternally in Heaven. It’s only faith in Christ that brings salvation.

The Book of Revelation is a book of hope for all of us who have truly accepted Christ for salvation. Jesus dictated seven letters to the Apostle John, which were written to seven churches. These seven letters describe the various eras of church history. The first letter describes the first Christians who were commended for their faith and patience. It describes how they stood against evil and how they rejected false teachers. It also says they needed to repent and return to their first love, which was Jesus. The final letter is written to our time period. A time when Christ is left outside of a Christian’s life. They aren’t hot nor cold but have a very lukewarm faith. These people think they need nothing from God, but they’re wrong. They have all the money they need to buy all the things they want, and they think they don’t need Jesus.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

It’s an individual choice.

With this last letter, the Christian era on Earth is finished. That’s not the end of the story. Today, we are in the last days, and very soon, all true Christians will hear the call to come up here.

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Revelation 4:1).

The Greek words for “after this” and “hereafter” are “meta tauta” which denote a sequence. First, something happens, and after that, the next thing happens. In this case, the church age happens first, and then the Rapture. First the Rapture, then the wrath of the Lamb. John was told to “Come up hither.” The Greek word used is “anabaino,” which means ascend. So, after the church age, we ascend to Heaven, and then there’s tribulation on Earth.

The Apostle Paul also wrote about the Rapture. “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: 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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The call to John to ascend and the following verses precede Revelation chapter 6, which begins describing the wrath that will fall upon the earth.

The Apostle John saw what Christians will see after the Rapture. “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold” (Revelation 4:2-4).

What a sight to see! Christians truly have a blessed hope in Jesus. Although Christians will be judged, we have no part in the wrath of God. Jesus took the full punishment for our sins upon Himself when He was crucified. The judgment we face will be more of a rewards ceremony. The works we do for Christ on Earth will earn us crowns.

“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for they pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:10-11).

The elders, who represent the redeemed, give all the rewards (crowns) to God. These crowns are not king’s crowns but “stephanos,” which is a victor’s crown, such as an award given to the winner of a race. When we are before our Lord and Saviour, we will realize that He gets all the glory for the good we have done in this life. It has to be understood that the good things we have done in order to bring glory to ourselves will be burned like wood, hay, and stubble.

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

The wood, hay, and stubble will burn. Things you’ve done for your own glory will be burned up. The gold, silver, and precious stones will survive the judgment fire and will be crowns to cast before the Lord. What a wonderful blessing for Christians who give more than lip service to Christ!

When Christians are called Home, the Restrainer, who is holding back the pure evil of Satan, will be taken out of the way. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been active in the world since the beginning but not indwelling people. That is a unique blessing for Christians. In Old Testament times, the Spirit would come upon people and help them but then leave them. When David committed great sin, he wrote a beautiful Psalm of repentance in which He makes this plea:

“Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

After the Rapture, the Holy Spirit will still be active in the world, but He won’t indwell people who come to faith during the Tribulation.

Paul wrote, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10).

This may be difficult to understand in the King James translation, but what it means is that the Holy Spirit indwelling Christians is a barrier holding back total evil from taking over. We see evil today, but it will be much worse during the Tribulation. After the Rapture, the most evil man who has ever lived, whom we call the Anti-Christ, will make himself known. He will step in, and it will seem that he has all the answers to stop the chaos.

What if you don’t have true faith in Christ and the Rapture happens before you truly repent and place your faith in Christ? At first, you will be confused. People you know and love will suddenly be gone. Things you are used to in this life won’t work as they always have. Television, radio, airplane travel, and more will be interrupted. Many of the people who made these things work are gone. When you get to your job, many of your co-workers will be missing. It won’t take long for the reality to set in. The people who had witnessed you and tried to convince you to give your life to Christ are gone. You’ve probably heard of the Rapture, but now you really understand. They were right; faith in Christ was the most important decision you should have made.

From this point on, things will only get worse as the Tribulation progresses. Major judgments are beginning. John saw a scroll with seven seals that needed to be opened. The only one worthy to open the scroll was Jesus.

As the seals are opened, judgments begin on Earth. “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2).

This rider isn’t a good guy but starts the judgments.

The second seal is opened, and a rider on a red horse goes out and takes peace from the earth, and people kill each other. The third seal is opened, and a black horse goes out, and judgment on food is inflicted… famine. The fourth seal sees a pale horse, and his rider is Death, and Hell followed with him. They were given power “…to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8b).

The judgments are just getting started.

The next seal sees martyrs crying to God for justice, and the sixth seal sees an earthquake. The sun becomes black, the moon looks like blood, and stars fall to Earth. Heaven is rolled up like a scroll, and the mountains and islands are moved from their places. The rich and powerful men try to hide from the judgment.

“And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17).

Only Christians who have been taken Home in the Rapture are safe from the wrath.

More and more judgments follow, including demons being released. “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them” (Revelation 9:6).

It keeps getting worse.

When we reach chapter 13, we read about the Beast, a hideous creature who blasphemes God, and then we see that any person who has survived thus far is required to take a mark.

“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: 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” (Revelation 13:16-17).

This mark happens quite a while after the Rapture, so today, if you’ve been concerned that somehow you’ve taken the Mark of the Beast, you haven’t. Eventually, the Beast will be sent to the lake of fire along with all who have taken his mark. Jesus wins; Satan loses.

The wrath and judgments keep going, but through all of the turmoil on Earth, Christians are safe in Heaven. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

What a comfort that we can depend upon God’s word!

How can you avoid the wrath? How can you avoid being a part of the Great Tribulation? The only way is to place your faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ… the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Don’t just say “I believe,” but truly repent, turn away from the sin that is condemning you, and turn to Jesus. He gave His life so that you can live eternally with Him.

What happens after the Rapture? It’s up to you.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).