Coincidental or Consequential?

As I compose this article from the hotel in Colorado Springs where the Prophecy Watchers Conference is being held, significant events surrounding this conference come to mind.

The last such Prophecy Watchers series of meetings I attended started on October 7, 2023, with a profound prophetic stage-setting event, as I view things. On that date, of course, Israel was attacked in a most brutal way by Hamas, the chief terrorist organization headquartered in Gaza.

As many as 1,400 Israelis and other people were literally butchered in the most horrendous way imaginable. The details are too graphically grisly to write of in this forum. I’m sure many who read this have read of or heard news reports of that blood-drenched attack and of the satanic wickedness that took place.

We who attended and spoke at that Norman, Oklahoma, conference then talked among ourselves that it was most significant that the attack took place at the moment we were opening the conference. It had to be, we concluded, more than mere coincidence. There had to be some Providential significance to the coinciding of the Hamas atrocities and the opening time of the conference.

I still sense the same now as then. I continue to believe it was prophetically consequential, not coincidental, that the Hamas attack on that celebratory get-together in Israel of mostly young people happened just as we opened in Norman.

Prophecy Watchers is among the Bible prophecy ministries most faithful to adhering to True Biblical eschatology (the study of end things). It was at that conference that this heinous attack could be properly understood, in my opinion, and thus, it was during the following time during that series of lectures. It was, I believe, Providentially arranged that this happened.

And make no mistake; that attack has proven to be monumental in terms of stage-setting for things to come –looking toward the Tribulation era, Daniel’s seventieth week.

There should be no doubt to those who look at things through Holy Spirit-engendered perception that the attack has opened the doors of worldwide hatred for the nation and the Jewish people. By that, I mean that Zechariah chapter 12 has suddenly and fully in our faces been made manifest. The entire world seems to have taken up anti-Semitic rage. Many young people in every major university in America, and those around much of the world, now chant the same hate-filled mantra in a similar form. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Hundreds of studies have documented the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis, and thousands of things have been written and documentaries produced telling of that holocaust. Yet in one day, when Hamas attacked, the demonic portal seemed to be opened that again unleashed the genocidal demons across the world. Hatred for God’s chosen people and for God’s chosen nation is on the rise to levels not thought possible just a decade or two previously. The Jews are blamed for defending themselves against these vicious hordes from Hell. Israel and the Jews are blamed for their “occupation” of “Palestine” –a state that doesn’t exist.

This is a stage-setting matter at this late date of the Age of Grace that is profound. It gives forewarning of development toward the time Jesus Himself said would be the worst of all human history (Matthew 24: 21). It is readying the world of rebellious mankind and God’s chosen people for the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

And I believe, like in the case of the Norman conference of October 7, 2023, that it is not coincidental but extremely consequential that a profound validation of the proof of God’s Prophetic Word was manifested at the time of this Colorado Springs Prophecy Watchers conference I’m currently attending.

I’m convinced that the wickedness that foists evil against all of God’s Truth was dealt a blow of Heavenly Resistance in the matter of the presidential debate of Thursday night, June 27, 2024.

I am not being political in pronouncing my findings. All politics are corrupted by human incorrigibility – of fallen man’s rebellion against God. I’m not promoting one political party over another.

But I am trying to say that the party that has most been responsible for foisting the wickedness and evil on America and the world was in the spotlight when the cognitively dysfunctional leader of the free world was manifest for all to see.

To me, it was total validation of God’s Word on those who turn their back on God –who are rebels against His Governance. They are turned over to a reprobate mind –that is, these are given over to doing things that are upside down from rational thought and action. Can we think anything other is true of the so-called “Woke” mindset and the sheer lunacy we have witnessed in recent weeks, months, and years?

Again, to me, God’s Holy Word of prophecy is validated beyond any doubt by the upside-down belief system of wokeness being exposed for all to see on worldwide TV – thus through the often not understandable cognitive convolution demonstrated by the person designated leader of the so-called progressives and leader of the free world.

God told in the most Holy caustic terms His disapproval of those who come against His Divine order and against His Son Jesus Christ. Here is what the Psalmist, under Divine Inspiration, says in the matter of such rebellion against Him.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” (Psalms 2:1-5).

To have this display of God’s Derision on the reprobate mindset that is so-called “Wokeness” just as our prophecy conference was beginning is, to me, nothing less than Consequential to unfolding prophetic stage-setting. God, the Holy Spirit, is still Restraining in a Mighty way. He is holding back the beginning of World War III while the Ephesians 6:12 minions are doing all within their power to ignite the unleashing of nuclear conflict.

This, I’m convinced, cannot happen until all of God’s family on Earth is called to be with Jesus Christ in the Clouds of Glory.

Don’t miss that call. Here is how to be sure to go to Christ when the Rapture takes place –which can be at any moment.

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

               –Terry

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Jesus Will Reward Our Watchfulness

What is the most ridiculed biblical belief of our day? Is it not our expectation of Jesus’ imminent appearing to take us home to Heaven? Sadly, the mocking of our “blessed hope” comes primarily from fellow believers.

The most troublesome source of scoffing for me has come from pastors who claim to believe in the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture. A few of them let me know that expressions of belief in the pre-Tribulation Rapture were not welcome at their churches.

The Lord has strengthened me in at least two ways as He has enabled me to weather this storm:

First, I have spent decades studying Bible prophecy, which has laid a firm foundation for my hope in Jesus’ appearing. My confidence rests in the words of Scripture.

Second, the Lord promises to reward those who watch for His appearing. This is the encouragement that I want to share with you.

Our Watchfulness Pleases the Lord

After Jesus answered His disciples’ questions about the end of the age and His Second Coming, He emphasized the need for watchfulness (Matthew 24:36-25:13). Such vigilance applies to the start of God’s wrath upon the earth as Jesus portrays this happening at a time when most will be totally unaware of the coming judgments or of His return, just like before the flood in Noah’s day (24:38). Such will most certainly not be the case at the end of the Tribulation.

Other passages in the New Testament clarify that for those of us in Christ, our expectation is Jesus’ appearing (Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 3:4). Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:10 is that the Rapture will happen before the “sudden destruction,” which will mark the start of the Day of the Lord, overwhelms the earth.

The watchfulness that Jesus commanded for His followers pertains to His return for His Church, which will precede the judgments of the Day of the Lord as described throughout the Old Testament and Revelation chapters 6-18.

Others will continue to mock our expectation of Jesus’ soon appearing. However, such watchfulness pleases the Lord because it not only represents obedience to Him but also demonstrates our belief in His teaching.

But there’s more comforting news in this regard.

The Lord Will Reward Those who Long for His Appearing

Paul wrote 2 Timothy from a Roman prison shortly before Nero beheaded him for his faith. Regardless of his fate, which he knew was certain at the time, his words in verses 7 and 8 portray a confidence in what awaited him after death.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

The apostle assures us that there’s a crown, a special reward, for those who love Jesus’ “appearing.” Notice that he doesn’t say “His Second Coming” but rather specifies the time when the Lord appears to take us to the place that He’s preparing for us (John 14:2-3).

I hear from many who tell me they are no longer welcome in their churches because of their belief in the Rapture. Things are about to dramatically change; however, the Lord Himself will richly reward those longing to meet Him in the air. Those who mock our watchfulness will miss out on this special crown.

Christ’s message to the church at Philadelphia implies that, in the end, it will not be easy for believers to keep their eyes on the prize of His soon appearing. In Revelation 3:11, Jesus says, “I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” This is not at all about losing one’s salvation, which is impossible, or missing out on the Rapture. It’s all about remaining watchful for His appearing until the end.

Everything will change after the Rapture; the Lord will reward our steadfastness in watching for His appearing. His special recognition of our faithfulness will replace the mocking that now rings in our ears.

More than a Feeling

The apostle knew that he wouldn’t be alive at the time of Jesus’ appearing, but he knew that a crown awaited him, a special reward, because of his longing for it. The word he used for “loved” in 2 Timothy 4:8 is the verb agape, the strongest of the Greek words for love.

Such desire for the Lord’s appearing signifies a welcoming of it, a yearning that changes our outlook on life and colors all our future aspirations. Paul had the Rapture in mind when he wrote these words in Philippians 3:13-14:

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Because of the lateness of the hour, many of us will be alive at the time of God’s “upward call.” Our long-awaited “prize” will soon become a reality.

I could write pages depicting how the signs tell us that the Tribulation is ever so close and, with it, the Rapture of the Church, which happens before it starts. In fact, the pervasive mocking of our hope is itself a sign pointing to the nearness of our homegoing.

Our opponents, fueled by beliefs that deny a seven-year Tribulation, Jesus’ thousand-year reign, and the restoration of Israel, will continue to assail our expectation of Jesus’ imminent return.

The Lord, however, will soon richly reward those of us who regard His appearing as a “prize” and long for the day.

-Jonathan

This Rapture Generation

[Authors note: Due to my need to concentrate on other matters as I prepare for speaking at the Colorado Springs Prophecy Watchers Conference, my commentaries this week will be selections I’ve written in the recent past. This is from Monday, February 20, 2023.]

My commentary title this week will likely be construed by some as audacious. “This Rapture Generation” implies that people of earth alive now are those who will, without doubt, be the generation of believers who go to Christ in the Rapture, doesn’t it?

Those who have named specific dates for that stupendous event have earned consternation down through the years, and deservedly so. Jesus Himself declared that no one but the Father knows the day or hour when it will occur. And certainly, to date, that truth has played out exactly as the Son of God—who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life—said.

Yet, at the same time, the Apostle Paul implied himself to be part of the generation that would be raptured:

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

Paul obviously expected to be part of those who would be living when Christ calls believers to Himself in the Rapture. The pronouns used are pretty clear, aren’t they? Yet Paul has been dead for 2,000 years or so, and the Rapture is still future, as we are all too aware.

So is God’s Word (the “Word” who, in fact, is the Lord Jesus Christ, according to John 1:1) less than truthful with us through the prophecy given Paul regarding the Rapture? We know the answer to that is a resounding “no.” God cannot lie; therefore, we are to think through Paul’s words with our born-again, Holy Spirit-influenced discernment to understand the apparently audacious statement. Paul’s declaration was as audacious as my title for this commentary, I think.

So what is this seeming contradiction all about?

The answer, I believe, is found in another familiar statement by Paul, one we use frequently in studying the Rapture.

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

I believe that wrapped up in this profound statement of faith is an instruction to all believers. During this Age of Grace (Church Age), we’re always to be earnestly expecting Jesus to snatch us from this fallen sphere at any moment. This instruction—this commandment—has been in effect since the Church was born (as presented in Acts chapter 2). Every believer since that time should treat the promise of the Rapture as if it absolutely will take place while we are still living on Earth.

As a matter of fact, all who love the prospect of Christ’s appearing are promised a crown of righteousness.

With this in mind, the title “This Rapture Generation” is appropriate for believers now. Jesus will come for us in the Rapture at any moment—perhaps today!

I hope to go much deeper in expressing this certainty. And we do go deeper with each and every article presented. At least that is our aim.

The signals are brilliantly projected for those with discerning spirits to understand. Our Lord is unfolding prophetic signals of such unmistakable significance that we would have to look in another direction to miss just how near we are to the Tribulation. The Rapture is thus right at the exit door of human history for believers in Jesus Christ.

Sadly, most who should be helping God’s children focus on the lateness of the hour continue to feed only pabulum about how to grow into Christian adulthood.

Such spiritual food isn’t bad, of course. The Scripture is necessary to spiritual growth. But there comes the time that requires us to take a deep look into just how late the hour is on God’s prophetic timeline. We are now very near that instant of Rapture about which we’re forewarning.

This is almost certainly the Rapture generation, and I cannot feel sheepish in declaring it.

Tell everyone you know, using your own words, the soul-saving truth encompassed by Paul’s Holy Spirit-given formula for going in the Rapture when Christ calls:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

               –Terry

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The Most Neglected Biblical Truth

There’s an old expression that dates back to 1512, “Throwing out the baby with the bath water.” The idea behind the saying is that if you believe part of an idea or teaching is not good, don’t toss it all away.

Is this not what many pastors do today? They fear the negative results of mentioning the dreaded word “Rapture” from the pulpit, so along with never referring to Jesus’ appearing, they never mention the resurrection of the dead in Christ or the glorious transformation of those who will be alive at the time. Water and baby both go out the window.

I have heard many presentations of the Gospel where the pastor never said the words “eternal life,” or if he did, he mentioned it as an afterthought or as part of John 3:16 during his closing prayer. Why do so many pastors refuse to mention the biblically sound promise that we will live forever in imperishable bodies like that of our Lord Jesus?

It’s the most neglected biblical truth in today’s churches.

Martha’s Belief in a Future Resurrection

I’m always impressed when I read Martha’s assertion of faith after the death of her brother, Lazarus. When Jesus told her that her brother would “rise again” (John 11:23), she responded with these words, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (v. 24).

Martha believed in a future bodily resurrection, the very thing that pastors today go to such great lengths to avoid even mentioning lest someone think they believe in the Rapture.

In the Gospel of John, the phrase “eternal life” appears seventeen times. Jesus emphasized this truth repeatedly during His earthly ministry; it’s no coincidence that Martha understood what that meant for her brother.

Jesus then surprised everyone by raising her brother from the dead. However, a far greater resurrection awaits Lazarus along with all who have died in Christ or will be alive at His appearing.

The Forgotten Resurrection

I often wonder if pastors who exclude references to our resurrection in their preaching genuinely believe the words of 1 Corinthians 15:19:

“If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

In the preceding verses, Paul refutes those in Corinth who claimed that there was no such thing as a resurrection (15:12-18). If true, he argues, then we must conclude that Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, which would signify that our faith is “futile.” The end of such a dire possibility is that the “dead in Christ have perished,” and we who are alive are “most to be pitied” (ESV) or “miserable” (KJV) because our hope doesn’t extend beyond this life (see vv. 18-19).

Paul begins verse 20 with the glorious fact that “Christ has been raised from the dead,” and in 1 Corinthians 15:47-57, he sums up our forever hope with the joyous reality of our bodily resurrection as New Testament saints. In language that others cannot possibly misconstrue or misunderstand to signify anything else, the apostle says there’s coming a time when Jesus will raise the dead with imperishable bodies and gloriously transform believers still alive at His appearing, the Rapture of His Church. Those who say 1 Corinthians 15:47-57 doesn’t refer to a future transformation of both dead and living believers are false teachers.

Paul again points to our joyous hope of eternal life in Philippians 3:20-21:

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (emphasis added)

Because Jesus rose from the dead, our over-the-top blissful hope is that someday we will possess a glorious body like that of our Savior. The sense of verse 20 is that of an “excited anticipation” of Jesus’ appearing. It signifies a yearning of the soul for the time that Jesus raises the dead in Christ and wholly transforms us with immortality. Romans 8:23 speaks to the future “redemption of our bodies,” which happens at the time of the Rapture.

We Possess a Tangible Hope

The problem with modern preaching is that it leaves our future after this life undefined. The more popular views of Bible prophecy point our hope to a far-distant Second Coming of Jesus, during which time He judges sin and initiates the eternal state. Parishioners can only guess as to what such a future means for them.

The world around us is on fire with lawlessness, unbridled wickedness, threats of terrorism, and the drumbeats of a nuclear war, which appears more likely with each passing day. Our future well-being in this world has never been more at risk in our lifetime.

The good news is that the Bible defines our hope as something tangible, a certain expectation of glory after this life ends. Scripture doesn’t leave us guessing as to what sort of nebulous existence lies in our future.

Terry James and I authored the book Hereafter, which describes in detail our lives in eternity after the Rapture. In it, we explore what it will mean to possess imperishable bodies as we reign with Christ in His kingdom.

We will spend eternity in gloriously transformed bodies that will never experience pain, sickness, aging, or death. They will be like that of our Savior. The “redemption of our bodies,” which happens at the time of the Rapture, was the hope that the apostles proclaimed to the world (Romans 8:23-25).

Maranatha!

-Jonathan