Calculating the Rapture? 7 Factors to Consider

So, what are the facts on the ground, that point to this timing? Consider these recent headlines:

Putin monitors simulation of ‘massive nuclear strike’ by strategic forces AP, October 20, 2022

1. There will be world-wide signs of Jesus’ coming, and the end of the age:

While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these events are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:3-8)

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2. He will come for us suddenly

“If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance. So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather. (Matthew 24:23-28)

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5. The great tribulation is a future event. It has not already happened in history:

“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house. And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect. (Matthew 24:15-22)

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7. The Lord will reward the righteous with eternal life, and punish the wicked with eternal fire:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!

For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’

“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’

“Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

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These are the Last Days

Israel is forming a regional peace agreement, in order to form an alliance against Iran. All the major players have picked sides now, for the upcoming Gog war, as outlined in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. 

What will happen next? The Bible gives us the answer:

You nations, come here and listen;
you peoples, pay attention!
Let the earth hear, and all that fills it,
the world and all that comes from it.
The Lord is angry with all the nations—
furious with all their armies.
He will set them apart for destruction,
giving them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
and the stench of their corpses will rise;
the mountains will flow with their blood. (Isaiah 34:1-3)

If the End of the End Times is truly near, what should our attitude be?

We are given a glimpse into what the actual end times will look like from the apostle Peter, whom Christ called “the rock.” In 2 Peter 3:10 the apostle relates, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”

The topic of the end times has been of deep interest to Christians since Christ himself walked the earth. Jesus warned the disciples about the end times, saying, “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

As people of faith, how are we to behave during the end times, if that is indeed where we are heading? What is our role as Christians in this time of biblical fulfillment?

Christ himself gave us a very clear directive, in the verses just mentioned. He first warned of our attention being caught up in the wrong things: carousing, drunkenness, and anxiety. Jesus seems to be saying we will be caught totally unaware by the cataclysmic events preceding his return, and notes the shock when we realize we have been focusing on the wrong things (he actually says the day will close upon us like “a trap.”)

We need to take this to heart as believers, staying watchful for the signs of the end of our time here on earth.

Jesus warned us about staying away from activities that steal our watchfulness–too much frivolity and drink, and interestingly, anxiety. In a world that is increasingly anxious, Jesus warns us away from this stress–to instead, we can infer, stay focused on him and the promises in the Bible for our everlasting life.

Another clue to how we should conduct ourselves as we prepare for the end times leads us back to 2 Peter. “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (2 Peter 3:11-12).

We are again given the idea that things will disappear–or melt in the heat–and in 2 Peter 3:10, remember, we are told things will be “laid bare.” Not just the earth, but everything done in it. God’s judgment will be at hand.

How do we make these directives found in 2 Peter and spoken by Jesus himself actionable in our modern lives?

May we remember something very important: if we are true believers, we are going to be absolutely okay. Christ died to give us eternal life with him! Even though the end times will be frightening, and we will no doubt see things that we cannot even begin to imagine, we must live by faith, trusting in God’s promises and the meaning of the resurrection. We will be fine when this earth passes away.

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If you are not sure that you are saved, you can accept Christ into your life right now, by praying:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.  Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life.  I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior.”

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Current events are aligning with Biblical prophecy