There are hundreds of YouTube videos, some with 100K views preaching rapture soon for Christians, many citing signs in the Middle East of impending war or 3rd Temple as signs that the “Bride of Christ” will taken to heaven soon. Let’s sort fact from fiction!

When asked about the end of the world, Christ said to understand the book of Daniel. Daniel 8 shows a goat from the west that stomps a ram with two horns--kings of Media and Persia (verse 20) but Gabriel said the vision is at the time of the end, verse 17.

Those areas are now Iraq and Iran. With Saddam gone, the vision is half fulfilled. War with Iran is likely, but how or why?

Did the pope bring peace to the Middle East with his signed statement of brotherhood with the Grand Imam in February? Will Trump’s Peace Plan be the answer?

Christians get expectations from the apostle Paul who wrote, “the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, for when they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ sudden destruction comes” 1Thessalonians 5.

The Bible also says “the day of the Lord comes” and all [Muslim?] nations will be gathered against Jerusalem, Zechariah 14.

Like key words in Google, the phrase, “day of the Lord” is linked to end-times and may be parallel to Egypt’s “night of the Lord” when calamity fell in Exodus 12.

The US parallel to Egypt includes their killing babies, Exodus 1. The US has 70 million abortions. Egypt enslaved Israelites and the US has enslaved most people in alcohol, tobacco, drugs we call ‘healthcare’ but are a leading cause of death--negative lifestyles and bondage while professing freedom.

The day of the Lord will bring judgment to the US like the night of the Lord brought it to Egypt. In the day of the Lord, God will “shake the earth mightily,” Isaiah 2:12,21.
But how would a calamity bring rapture to Christians? Christ’s wedding parable in Matt 25 shows them as asleep with lights out. That could mean they misunderstand the wedding parables. Let’s look at Luke’s wedding parable for the rapture.

Christians are to be ready to open when Christ ‘knocks.’ Luke 12:36,37. The knock decodes to an earthquake (above) because that’s how the Laodicean church where He knocked ended. They were lukewarm with materialism like western Christianity today.

The rapture comes in the next verse. Rapture means overwhelming joy--“Blessed is that servant whom his Lord finds watching; He will gird himself and make him sit down to eat and will serve him.” That’s what Christ did at the Last Supper on the eve of Passover.

Some Christians might be disappointed that this isn’t what they want, but that rapture comes ‘at the last trumpet,’ 1Cor 15:51,52. Luke’s ‘blessing’ is better than a quick snatch to heaven--it offers an opportunity to do something for God that brings high reward.

For the servant who is ready and open (above), “He will make him ruler over all that He has…To whom much is given… much is required.” Luke 12:44,48.

This isn’t about sliding under the gate to heaven. It’s about a choice to be 1st responders in a crisis--to serve God like Moses or Elijah with power to shut the heaven or turn water to blood (bringing the trumpet plagues of Rev 8) for 3 1/2 years before the New World Order beast gets equal time--all of this is seen in Rev 11:3-7; 13:5.

“We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22. Christ’s clues of a huge 9-11 event have timing explained by Numbers 9:10,11 where Passover (time of judgment) is in the 2nd month “as the days of Noah.”

Another example is how Christ ended his parables. He said “watch” (clue for Passover), you don’t understand--because it’s like a man traveling to a far country. If Israelites took a long trip and couldn’t get back for Passover, they were to keep it a month later--a 9-11 clue found in Numbers 9:10,11.

The parable in Matt 24:40 begins--“Then [same time as the Flood, 2nd month] shall two be in the field, one taken.” Luke 17:37 shows Christ’s reply to “Where, Lord?” He said, Where the body is, there will the eagles gather. It’s better to be left behind. Sorry to say those books and movies were fiction!

For more information, readers may get 9-11: How 9-11 Links in Christ’s Last Parables Show How End-Times Begin This Spring--a no-charge copy Saturday, April 20 at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NZLF7LS

Author's Bio: 

Richard Ruhling writes on current events and Bible prophecy with books on Amazon/Kindle.