Why Prophecy…… Why
now?
Paul J. Simon
It has become evident in today’s
society, that Christ has taken a back seat to all the
worldly activities that we
witness on a daily basis. As people get further and
further into the humdrum of daily life and concerns, the
works of God are all around us….. but, we just don’t notice
or recognize them. Some of us DO notice, and we
feel compelled to let the world know why this is all
happening.
God is
in control at all times. We tend to think that
humans are in control, but that couldn’t be farther from the
truth. Most of the acts of humans are being controlled
by Satan. Satan is the master puppeteer on the world
stage. As we watch the tragedies of war and sin ravage
the face of the earth, we begin to wonder ‘what happened?’
‘What
happened’, is that we stopped listening and trusting God.
It’s all written out for us in the Bible in whatever
language you wish to read it in. The ‘word’ won’t
change the world, because it is already set in motion and
the prophetic word is working its magic. We can’t save
the world, but we can save our souls. My
philosophy comes from the epistle of Paul to the Galatians.
“I
have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me, and delivered himself up for me.”
(Galatians 2:10
NAS)
Although
we were not at the crucifixion, the principle still
applies in that we, as children of God, are to live
our lives in the word of the Lord. Important parts of
the word of the Lord are the signs that were made evident
throughout all the books of the bible. Most people
that read the bible will argue that it just doesn’t make any
sense. There are no Kings and Kingdoms and horsemen
and swords etc., etc., etc. No, not in the literal
sense of today, but in the time that these words were
written, these are the things that were known to these
biblical authors, and we must equate them to today’s world.
Why
prophecy? Why now? These are the questions that
come to mind if we’re considering finding out the truth.
The
bible holds the truth. It’s in there. You just
have to read it.
There
are many people out there that say the bible is just a
fictional story. Some go as far a saying that it’s
‘just a fairy tale’. These are the same people that
have lost touch with God and find Satan more to their
likings. The Apostle Peter foresaw this falling away
from God.
“Know
this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come
with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and
saying ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since
the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from
the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4 NAS)
I, for
one, don’t find the bible to be fictitious at all.
From a scriptural standpoint concerning the validity of the
bible, there are 333 prophecies concerning Christ in the
Bible. 109 of those prophecies were fulfilled the
first time that he came. I would say that that is a
pretty successful track record. That would leave 224
of them to be fulfilled in the second coming. But,
that subject is another article.
When I
talk about us ’saving our souls’, I speak with passion
because Christ has promised us a life with him in his
kingdom. But, that invitation is open only to those
Christian believers who have come to Christ through a
proclamation of faith. These believers have accepted
Christ as their savior. They believe that Jesus was
crucified on the cross, died, and was resurrected on the
third day and that He sits at the right hand of the Father.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth, and the
life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John
14:6 NAS)
“For
God so loved the world, that He gave only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life” (John 3:16 NAS)
This is
such a powerful promise. This is a promise that
we can believe in because of the truth of the bible.
This brings us to another point. Most people are
skeptical and want some other form of tangible evidence.
For those skeptics and non believers, that other tangible
evidence will absolutely leave them speechless. I’m
speaking about the Rapture of the church. For all of
those that have accepted Christ, and have walked in the way
of his word will be swept away in a time and hour unknown to
man. This is another of those powerful promises that
we learn from the pages of the bible. This is an event
that those, who have not accepted Jesus, and
are living at the time of this event, will NOT
see it. This event is reserved for those of us who
have accepted Jesus. What they will see,
however, will be the aftermath and the chaos that ensues.
“For
the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are
alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall be
with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NAS)
It’s a
promise to us that are living now. “Then we who are
alive and remain…”
“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound and the
dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
(1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NAS)
But,
what does this all mean? In the ‘twinkling’ of an eye?
How are we changed? What’s wrong with the way that we
are? The bible state in 1 Corinthians that ‘flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God’,
so we will be transformed with glorified bodies, similar to
the one that Jesus had at his resurrection. The
‘twinkling’ of an eye is an idiom to visualize an
instantaneous action. It’s more so likened to the
speed of light, if not faster.
In the
first book of the Old Testament we find Adam (of Adam & Eve
fame). In the genealogy of Adam we find Enoch.
Enoch was raptured up to God.
“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God
took him away” (Genesis 5:24 NAS)
So, you see, there will come a day when we,
as believers, will all be transformed just as Enoch was to
be made fit to be with God in his Kingdom.
What it
also means, is that we have to be ready at all times.
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your savior yet, what are
you waiting for? You can’t claim your prize after the
fact. As the old saying goes; “there’s no time like
the present”.
“For
the coming of the Son of man will be like the days of Noah.
For as in those days which were before the flood they were
eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in
marriage, until the day that NOAH ENTERED THE ARK, and they
did not understand until the flood came and took them all
away, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then
there will be two men in the field; one will be taken away,
and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at
the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day you
Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24 37-42 NAS)
O.K.
You want to know why this is so important. It’s
simple, really. If you know what’s ahead, then you
will understand the importance of the rapture, and why you
really, really want to be part of it. You will want to
be like the one that was ‘taken away’ in the passage above.
They were raptured to be with God.
The
period after the rapture will be a time of great strife and
suffering. This is the tribulation period and will
commence after the signing of a 7 year peace agreement with Israel and the Anti-Christ.
However, midway through, at the 3 ½ year mark, the
Anti-Christ will desecrate the
Temple
and proclaim himself to be God. This will be the start
of the Great Tribulation and the wrath of God. But God
had promised his believers that we won’t have to suffer this
period.
“And
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the
dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to
come.” (1 Thessalonians
1:10 NAS)
“For
God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians
5:9 NAS)
Another
point to consider is found in the book of Revelation.
In the first 3 chapters, the church is mentioned numerous
times. But, John (the Author) is called up to heaven
to look down and witness those things that are about to take
place during the tribulation, and the church isn’t mentioned
again until chapter 19. So, why does that make a
difference? Because we the believers (the church) have
been called up to be with the Lord and the church
isn’t in the tribulation.
So,
don’t you think that having a ring side seat in heaven far
outweighs being on the playing field for the tribulation and
wrath?
“He
who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming
quickly,’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the
Lord be with all. Amen (Revelation 22:20-21 NAS)
Paul J. Simon