When Will the Rapture Take Place?
By Dennis Love
McDowell County
When is Jesus coming for His church? I certainly don’t know, and neither do you, but some soothsayers, astrologers, prognosticators, and so-called prophets keep trying to predict when it will take place. The truth is simply this, nobody knows when it will take place. Nobody in the Pentagon, or on Capital Hill has a clue. If someone comes along and says, “I’ve set a date for the coming of Jesus,” you need to ask him, “Will you give me the deed to your house effective the day after your set date and do it now?” If they do, congratulations on your new house. Because only God knows when His Son will return for His church. It is a sacred mystery known to God alone. How do I know? Because Jesus said so in Matthew 24:36-44.
“But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So, this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. Therefore be alert, for you know not what hour your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you also should get ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting it.”
There is no question that the rapture will take place. And there is no question that it will take place suddenly and immediately. As a matter of fact, it could take place before you finish reading this article. We see all kinds of events taking place in our world today that seem to indicate that the coming of Jesus is at the door. However, no event or sign proves to us that His coming for His church is soon. Let me give you a brief illustration. Before Halloween arrives, most retail stores start putting out Christmas decorations. When you see those decorations, does that mean Christmas is here? NO, it means Thanksgiving is coming. Now indeed Christmas is coming, but Thanksgiving will come first. So, the things we are seeing take place in our nation and world today are pointing us to the lawlessness and the awfulness that will take place following the rapture of the church, but the rapture must come first. Simply put the signs and the events we are seeing today point to the time after the church is taken out of this world. The church should not be looking for signs or events, we should be looking for our Savior. He could return at any moment for His church. The early church was looking for Him to return in their lifetime. That is why John prayed, “Even so come Lord Jesus.”
I recently read that the average person blinks their eyes twenty thousand times a day. I have no idea if that is true or not because I question who would sit for an entire day and count the number of times someone blinks their eyes! But this statistic does remind me that perhaps twenty thousand times every day I may hear the trump of God sound because God’s Word says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet of God will sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52)
So, when will the rapture take place? Maybe today! Maybe next week! Maybe next month! Maybe next year! Maybe this decade! Or maybe not! When it takes place is God’s business, and He always takes good care of His business. It’s our business to be ready and to be looking and expecting Him to return at any moment. Therefore, let’s join John in prayer saying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”
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Dr. Dennis Love is the Associational Missions Strategist for the Blue Ridge Baptist Association in McDowell County. Dr. Love has been in full-time ministry work for 31 years. He and his wife Vicki have been married for almost 42 years, and they have lived in Marion for almost 8 years. They have two sons, four grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. He can be reached via email at: dlovebrba@yahoo.com
Read more of his Christian news articles here
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