The Bible states that a day is coming when all born-again Christians will be taken up from this world. On that day, every born-again Christian will be lifted up by Christ Jesus to meet Him in the Heavens, and none of us will be left behind on Earth. Paul also described this event in the books of 1 Thessalonians and in 1 Corinthians. What is a world without Christians going to be like?
The above mentioned event is known as the Rapture. In much the same way as Jesus’s Second Coming (Matthew 24:36), we do not know its exact day and time. However, 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. We can also sense the season, and we know it is very near. How will the world change after the Rapture? Will life go on the same?
For one, we know that there will no longer be anyone on Earth interceding for their loved ones, and that the world be left open to the dictatorship of the AntiChrist.
The Ascendance of the AntiChrist
It is still speculation whether the Rapture will be a dramatic event that captures the world’s attention simultaneously or otherwise. It may be that life may go on as it does for a short while, with not anyone of those left behind except for some affected families noticing anything has changed around them. No matter how things will turn out, inevitably as the word of mouth spreads, it will come to the world’s attention and alarm within a short span 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.
At the center of this portion of history will be the Jews. Interestingly, there seems to be an indication that a large portion of them will also remain on Earth, in Israel. We find numerous descriptions in the Book of Revelation (among others the references to the 144,000 saints and the two witnesses) indicating 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. Additionally, 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
As mentioned, the Rapture and the lifting up of Christians to Heaven will leave the world open to the AntiChrist, who is the leader of the people who will undertake to annihilate Israel. It will give him free rein in implementing his One World Order.
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, causing worldwide suffering and forcing everyone in it to bow to his control or be persecuted by him. With the Christians gone, he will face little to no opposition.
The Number of the Beast
At the AntiChrist’s side will be his ally, the Beast. The Beast will implement his mark, known as 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 in Peril
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
In such dark times, people will be looking for hope. Israel will have a great role to play. The good news is that 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 not as a baby in a manger, but as a deliverer and a resplendent King of kings. And even in those days, through the ministry of the 144,000 saints, there will be people who turn to Jesus.
We thank God that there is hope even at this time, and that the chronicle doesn’t end with the world under the rule of the AntiChrist. The return of Jesus Christ at the end of all these events will herald the end of our current history. He will defeat the AntiChrist and establish a Millennial Reign of peace and justice. The New Heaven and New Earth will come.
Our Hope Today
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. The purpose of this article is to forewarn and remind about the days that are coming. Though we believe that there is still hope even in those days, the suffering will be incomparable to any kind of suffering today, no matter how bad. We do not want our loved ones to undergo these days.
Even today, Jesus is extending a hand of invitation to us and to our loved ones 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).
Those who are faithful believers, continue to stand in the gap for your loved ones and intercede on their behalf while there is still time. For those of us who have yet to make a decision for Christ, we need to choose our side before the coming of the terrible day. Each of us, without exception, must make the most important of decisions for our destinies.
Disclaimer: This is an abridged version of the article “What Will Happen to the World after the Rapture?” that was published on our website on 9th November 2021. This version focuses solely on the events after the Rapture, meant for easier reading. For the theological facets of the Rapture, please read the aforementioned article.
As with the previous article, this abridged version comes 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.
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