A second point that is lost on those who advocate the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view, (that is the idea that the Lord might return any moment and snatch all His faithful believers away to heaven) is that the idea violates what we know of God's eternal character. How so you say? Let's take a look.
The scriptures are full of references to the fact that God is eternal and He does not change. (1 Timothy 1:17, Hebrews 13:8, etc.) Knowing this, those characteristics of God set out at any point in the scriptures are to be taken as true and unchanging. God is perfect, and that which is perfect does not change, as any change would be to take on imperfection. If God sets down a statement, a theme in scripture, we can understand it is eternal and unchanging. So it is when God describes what is set out for His people.
We read that God's prophets have always been met with opposition and often are killed by the very people they are sent to save. (Matthew 22:31, 1 Thessalonians 2:15, etc.) It is so with all who choose to follow Him today. Believers who seek to live a truly godly life will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-16.) Knowing this, and knowing Jesus prophecy that the last days would be like "the days before the flood" (Matthew 24:38-39), that is, in the entire world only eight persons were left alive who were found faithful and saved. (Genesis 7:7)
Therefore, the rapture will not me an any-moment disappearance of millions of nominal Christians, but when it comes, there will be very few Christians left, for the reasons I will point out in later articles. Jesus Himself prophesied that, when the "Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the Earth?" (Luke 18:8)
It is God's eternal nature at work through His people. In this, we know that just as all those brave men and women who came before (Hebrews 11), believers in this age too will be required to suffer for their faith. We won't just be snatched away before anything terrible happens. If you haven't noticed, terrible things are already happening all around us, every day. Let us, as faithful Christians, be ready to take up our cross (Matthew 16:24-26) and make the sacrifices our Lord may require of us, even if that sacrifice is our very life. Never forget, we have a kingdom to gain!
We fight in this life not for what we might gain here, but for a better country (Hebrews 11:13-16), a kingdom to come...
The scriptures are full of references to the fact that God is eternal and He does not change. (1 Timothy 1:17, Hebrews 13:8, etc.) Knowing this, those characteristics of God set out at any point in the scriptures are to be taken as true and unchanging. God is perfect, and that which is perfect does not change, as any change would be to take on imperfection. If God sets down a statement, a theme in scripture, we can understand it is eternal and unchanging. So it is when God describes what is set out for His people.
We read that God's prophets have always been met with opposition and often are killed by the very people they are sent to save. (Matthew 22:31, 1 Thessalonians 2:15, etc.) It is so with all who choose to follow Him today. Believers who seek to live a truly godly life will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-16.) Knowing this, and knowing Jesus prophecy that the last days would be like "the days before the flood" (Matthew 24:38-39), that is, in the entire world only eight persons were left alive who were found faithful and saved. (Genesis 7:7)
Therefore, the rapture will not me an any-moment disappearance of millions of nominal Christians, but when it comes, there will be very few Christians left, for the reasons I will point out in later articles. Jesus Himself prophesied that, when the "Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the Earth?" (Luke 18:8)
It is God's eternal nature at work through His people. In this, we know that just as all those brave men and women who came before (Hebrews 11), believers in this age too will be required to suffer for their faith. We won't just be snatched away before anything terrible happens. If you haven't noticed, terrible things are already happening all around us, every day. Let us, as faithful Christians, be ready to take up our cross (Matthew 16:24-26) and make the sacrifices our Lord may require of us, even if that sacrifice is our very life. Never forget, we have a kingdom to gain!
We fight in this life not for what we might gain here, but for a better country (Hebrews 11:13-16), a kingdom to come...
