The Last Days Of The World XXXV

 We’re still here because Jesus said we would be. It’s not because God’s alarm didn’t go off or Jesus got sidetracked with a home renovation project. He has not appeared in the clouds because it is not yet the appointed time. When He does, every eye will see Him, so the idea that millions will vanish without an explanation is antithetical to what the Bible says regarding His appearing.

The closer we get, the closer we are, and the clearer things become. As events begin to unfold, the household of faith will be divided into two camps. There will be those who will be looking at their watches, full of angst and trepidation, and then there will be those who will be looking up, knowing that their redemption draws near. There will be those who will be blindsided by the chaos erupting in the world, and then there will be those for whom it will be an impetus to draw ever closer to Jesus and place their trust in Him.

One thing is clear: the events of the last days will be such that indifference, apathy, or superficial faith will not suffice, and the idea of being a fence rider regarding one’s commitment to Christ will die a well-deserved death. If the days of Noah are an indicator, and Jesus said they are, then those who remain faithful and endure to the end will be a small number indeed.

I believe that many who insist that we will not be here for any of this are sincere. Granted, there are some wolves and hirelings who use this issue to garner a following for themselves and eventually profit from those who follow them, but I don’t believe the average Christian who holds this position is disingenuous or harbors malintent for anyone. This is why I refuse to allow such discussions to become acrimonious or contentious. All I can do is tell you what the Bible says. Beyond that, I can pray for you, as I hope you pray for me, because although we might disagree, as long as the issue is not a salvific matter, we are still family, have the same Father, and serve the same Lord.

There are those who hold extreme views on both sides of this issue. On the one hand, you have people insisting that believing in a pre-tribulation rapture is the thing that will get you to heaven, and not faith in Christ, going so far as to say that if you don’t believe it, you’ll get left behind. Show that to me in the Bible, anywhere, and I’ll bite, but you can’t.

On the other hand, there are some who belittle those who hold to a pre-tribulation catching away, as though they were somehow less than for holding to it. My concern has always been the spiritual readiness of believers. Shock, surprise, and befuddlement do not make for a heart at peace whose singular desire is the pursuit of Christ. It’s how many will react to being blindsided, disappointed, and having to endure to the end that burdens me.

Wherever you land on this issue, it is an undeniable reality that much of the modern-day church is ill-prepared to witness the wars, pestilences, natural disasters, and cataclysms of such proportions as to shake the powers of the heavens. How will they react when their expectations of prosperity, ease, comfort, and security not only fail to materialize but the polar opposite begins to take shape? How will they contend with the prospect of having every luxury to which they’ve become accustomed and been taught they are entitled being yanked from under them, or when the wealth of the wicked doesn’t show up in their bank accounts?

Likewise, we must acknowledge that the modern-day church is ill-prepared to suffer the persecution and betrayal Jesus warns of as being one of the signs of His imminent return.

If you’ve ever driven from California into Nevada, there’s a stretch of road that goes through the Mojave Desert, where nothing but sand, sun, and cacti exist. I’m sure there are some lizards here and there, perhaps some insects, the odd jackrabbit or turtle, but as far as what we deem civilization, there is none to be had. The closer you get to the desert, the more pronounced the signs along the highway become, insisting that you should top off your gas tank and get some water because there’s nothing but bramble for the next hundred miles.

If you look at your gas gauge and see you’re under a quarter of a tank, yet conclude that you’ll make it all the same and you end up being stranded, sitting in the hot sun, waiting for some stranger to come along and take pity on you, it’s not God’s fault, the desert’s fault, or anyone else’s but your own.

What I don’t understand is why there is so much opposition to the idea that we will have to endure to the end, even though Jesus said we would. The worst thing that would happen is that you would have prepared yourself, grown closer to God, built up your faith, and focused on the eternal rather than the temporal things of this earth. In having purposed in your heart to endure to the end, you would have matured your spiritual man and learned to walk by faith. Where’s the downside in that?

The truth of it is that none of us can be certain we will see another sunrise, let alone the entirety of the last days of the world. My time may come in an hour, a day, or a month, and I will go to my reward. Believing that I will be here to witness the things Jesus said would occur before the sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven only compels me to prioritize Him, focus on Him, grow in Him, and walk with Him. That ought to be the standard for every true believer anyway, so why the animosity? It’s not about who’s right and who’s wrong. It’s about being ready and fully equipped to resist the darkness, endure, persevere, and overcome.

Revelation 3:21, To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

With love in Christ, 

Michael Boldea, Jr.