Disclaimer: This article was written from our understanding of eschatology as described in the Bible, and in relation to current day events. It takes a neutral stance and is not meant to impinge or offend any belief.
The subject of what has been termed the “Last Days” has always fascinated Christians from all walks of life. There is an urgency, especially in our time. Faithful servants of God work hard to reach even the remotest parts of the world so that every believer will have access to Scripture. Alongside this, there has been a consistent emphasis on discipleship.
Why We Wrote This Article
The fascination and sense of urgency we have about the Last Days are natural since it revolves around our ultimate destinies. Furthermore, we are no longer just nearing the last days but in fact right at its doorsteps. We are at the tail end of history; many recent global events and convergence of world-systems have already set all the prerequisites in place for the rise of the AntiChrist, and in turn, the Second Coming of Christ. Yet, the subject itself is seldom preached or taught in churches.
This article is part of a series meant as an introduction to a ‘much-neglected’ subject so that Christians will not be caught unprepared when the time comes. We will depict the core ideas of the Rapture, before looking at the Rule of the Antichrist, and the Second Coming of Christ.
The Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the central and most well-known sacred text regarding eschatology (the study of the end times). It is usually believed that the apostle John wrote it on the island of Patmos in the year AD95 (62 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus, and around 30 years after the martyrdom of Paul). This is a notable detail that we will mention again in due course.
Revelation encompasses the Messages to the Seven Churches; the Judgement Seat of God; the 7 Seals; the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse; the 12 tribes of Israel (including the 144,000 witnesses); the Great Tribulation; The 7 Trumpets; the Two Witnesses; the War in Heaven; the AntiChrist, the Beast, and Whore of Babylon; the Fall of Satan and his followers; the Second Coming of Christ Jesus; and the Millennial Rule of Christ Jesus.
The Rapture
The Book of Revelation goes deeply into the events of the Last Days. However, the relevant text regarding the Rapture is actually contained in two of Paul’s letters. One of these epistles was written to the church in Thessalonica. (This letter or epistle is commonly known to us today as the Book of 1 Thessalonians). The other epistle is Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians (known as the Book of 1 Corinthians). This is another notable point that we will visit again.
In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul describes the Resurrection of the Dead, also known as the Rapture. In much the same way as Jesus’s Second Coming (Matthew 24:36), we do not know the exact day and time of the Rapture.
Nevertheless, God has given us guideposts. We can sense the season, and we know it is very near. In His mercy and grace, God has also given insights to His apostles about the last days and the Rapture so that they may be passed down through the generations. These insights serve as beacons of hope, as well as warnings for us to stay close in our relationship with Christ Jesus, and also for our loved ones.
What Can We Expect from the Rapture?
The Rapture is described by Paul as a mystery that cannot be fathomed by the human mind (1 Corinthians 15:51). It’s when the living and the resurrected dead believers in Christ will be caught up to meet with Him in the air. The dead in Christ will resurrect first, and then together, the living and the resurrected dead will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We will be given glorious new bodies, and the meeting with the Lord will be permanent: “And so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17b). It is the blessed hope of all faithful Christians.
Every born-again Christian will be lifted up by Christ Jesus to meet Him in the Heavens, and none of us will be left on Earth. To be caught up, we must have a relationship with Jesus. What about those who do not have faith, belief, or relationship with Christ Jesus? They will remain on Earth and they will have to undergo the events that will take place here, after the Rapture. This is why it’s so important for Christians to share the Gospel with others, particularly their loved ones. What will happen when the Christians are gone after the Rapture? There will be no one on Earth to intercede for those who are left on earth under the dictatorship of the AntiChrist.
(Initially, those left behind may not even notice anything has changed around them, but sure enough, within a short span, it will come to the world’s attention and alarm that whole percentages of its population have ‘disappeared. Conspiracy theories will probably arise, opening a space for the AntiChrist to initially emerge as a seemingly benevolent world leader in answer to the world’s crisis.)
Interestingly, there seems to be an indication that a large portion of Jews will also remain on Earth, in Israel. Why do we say this? Numerous descriptions in the Book of Revelation (among others the references to the 144,000 saints and the two witnesses) indicate that a group of martyrs for God – often described with very Mosaic and Israel-centric terms of references – will undergo persecution during the days of the Great Tribulation. The apostle Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles and his letters mentioning the Rapture were addressed to Greek/Gentile Christians in Thessanolica and Corinth. Recent surveys paint the stark reality of the tiny percentage of Jewish Christians in Israel (around 2%, with even Arab Christians having a larger population).
The Rule of the AntiChrist
The Rapture and the lifting up of Christians to Heaven will leave the world open to the AntiChrist and give him free rein in implementing his One World Order. Who is the AntiChrist? The AntiChrist is the leader of the people who will undertake to annihilate Israel.
The AntiChrist will substitute himself in Christ Jesus’s place. He will control the armies of the world and cause them to fight against Jesus in the Last Days. Before that, He will control the economies of the world, subjugate it under his dominion, and persecute those who chose to remain faithful to God(Yahweh). Initially posing as a benevolent leader, once he has established himself, he will reveal himself as a dictator, the likes the world has never seen. He will exercise great abuse of power, cause worldwide suffering, and everyone would have to bow to his control or they will be persecuted by him. With the Christians gone, he will face little to no opposition.
The Beast, an ally of the AntiChrist, will implement the number of the beast – 666 – on the population of the world. This is probably analogous to the QR code (used to identify specific units of items in huge inventories) but specifically created to enable the AntiChrist to identify and control/oversee each person individually. The Beast will pass this off as an economic measure to enable the receiver of the mark to participate in the world economy. In a world that’s governed by financial and monetary systems, such a mark would be crucial for the livelihood of those left behind, and those who do not receive the mark will find themselves falling outside of the system, not being able to buy or sell or function in society. The worst thing is that, as Scripture has already forewarned us, this number of the beast will mark those who have received them as flocks belonging to the AntiChrist.
Israel will be in a crisis greater than anything that it has ever faced throughout all its history. As a nation chosen by God as His own special people (Deuteronomy 7:6; Ezekiel 34:30), the Israelites will be specifically targeted by the AntiChrist. Its existence will be threatened on an unprecedented scale and as never before. This is where it will lead to the events in the book of Revelation, and among these, to the 144,000 saints.
Hope in Jesus Christ
Yet, even in such dark times, there is still hope. Why? God has a covenant with Abraham and love for Abraham’s descendants and Israel. He still desires to save Israel from destruction. Jesus Christ will return a second time, this time as a deliverer. And even in those days, there will be people who turn to Jesus (https://tinyurl.com/p2ws2vza; https://tinyurl.com/4fz8npbe).
The chronicle doesn’t end with the world under the rule of the AntiChrist. Jesus Christ will return again a second time at the end of all these events, this time, not as a baby in a manger, but as a resplendent King of kings. He will defeat the AntiChrist, establish a Millennial Reign of peace and justice, and then the New Heaven and New Earth will come.
And for us today, there is also hope. The implication of all these events is that there will be an unprecedented battle between the forces of Christ Jesus and Satan. Even today, Jesus is extending a hand of invitation to us to have a saving relationship with Him. For God did not send Jesus Christ to die on the cross and to rise again to condemn the world but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). Each of us must make a decision.
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