My dear readers,

What if it were today?

1 Thessalonians 5:2: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

Does the thought of the Rapture frighten or strengthen you? The term Rapture is a Latin translation of the phrase “caught up” found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “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.” [Emphasis added]

The Rapture is the second coming of Christ FOR the church; it is not the second coming of Christ WITH the church. In the former, the Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven and meet believers in the air: those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and those who are alive in Christ will be raptured. Then Christ will bring all (whom He has redeemed with His precious blood) before God’s throne of grace and mercies. Christ the Saviour will come to fulfil the climax of His salvation in His disciples’ lives by giving all of them glorified bodies.

The second coming of Christ WITH the church refers to Christ descending from the clouds of heaven with myriads of His holy angels and saints to fight the Devil, the Antichrist and the false prophet at the battle of Armageddon and defeat them once and for all (cf. Rev 19).

The focus in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is the former and not the latter.

One of the signs before the Rapture is the rise in power of the Antichrist, the one-world ruler. Before he is identified, the Rapture will take place first. With the system of the world already in place now for him to rule and control the world, the Rapture could happen at any time. This truth is taught in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7: “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 clearly teaches the doctrines of the Rapture and the First Resurrection (which is for believers only, from Adam to the present). Verse 1 talks about “our gathering together unto (with) him.” This was Christ’s teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5. Apparently false teachers had crept into the church in Thessalonica and frightened some believers into thinking that the Rapture had already taken place and that they missed it and had been left behind! This lie was refuted here by the Apostle Paul. He calmed them by teaching that certain signs must be fulfilled first before the Rapture can occur. There must first be a falling away, i.e. to turn apostate. This is a definite reference to Christianity that will turn apostate. It has happened already as the ecumenical movement has given birth to the World Council of Churches in 1948. It has enveloped the world today. The Christianity of the 21^st century is Christian in name but no longer Christian in heart and soul. Roman Catholicism, Charismatism and Neo-evangelicalism control the voice and image of Christianity today. Their voices dominate because of their numbers which is close to two billion members combined!

Following next is the revelation of the identity of the “man of sin” (2 Thess 2:3), i.e. the Antichrist. He cannot be revealed yet until “he be taken out of the way” (2 Thess 2:7). The word “letteth” in verse 7 is the same as the word “withholdeth” in verse 6. The difference is that in verse 6 it is a neuter gender and in verse 7 it is a masculine gender. Verse 6 refers to some power holding back the revelation of the identity of the man of sin. Verse 7 describes the One behind the power that prevents the identity of the Antichrist from being revealed. Since the context is the Rapture and the first resurrection of believers who have died in Christ, the power here is the power of the Rapture and the First Resurrection. The One who wields this power is none other than God Himself and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In other words the event of the Rapture and First Resurrection of believers is holding back the revelation of the identity of the Antichrist!

There is another passage that might help us understand this truth from the perspective of the revelation of the Antichrist. The passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”

Believers need not know the exact time of the Rapture or first resurrection but they need to be ever ready when it takes place. The “day of the Lord” (1 Thess 5:2) refers to the Rapture and the first resurrection and it will come very suddenly, like a thief coming to burglarize at night. Of course the comparison here refers to the suddenness and imminence of Christ’s return for the church. When the world says “peace and safety” (1 Thess 5:3), then sudden destruction will come upon them like the pain of a woman about to give birth! The world today is in great turmoil and confusion. The thing it cries for the most is peace and safety! The sudden cry from the world for peace and safety means that peace and safety will be taken away first. Covid-19 is a global pandemic pestilence that has taken the world by storm and every nation is feeling the wind of its deadly breath! The world is frightened and completely helpless. The powers of princes and kings and presidents and prime ministers are useless against this pestilence. It is no respecter of persons in its affliction! What the next few weeks or months bring is known only to the LORD God!

If it culminates with the world saying “peace and safety,” then the seven years of Great Tribulation will begin! This means that the identity of the Antichrist will be revealed to bring about this “peace and safety.” Therefore the Rapture and the first resurrection would have come and gone!

The LORD says that children of light must not be caught sleeping but be ever ready for the Rapture! Being ready in holiness is the only way! Draw nigh unto the Lord daily during this time as the Lord has given us precious time with our family and loved ones like never before. What if it were today? Will you be ready? Amen.