Hope of the Rapture

God's wrath, whatever it is, will be poured out upon the earth by His angels (Rev.15:7, 19:14). It is continually storing up for each and every unsaved person, each and every day (Rom. 2:5, 8). God is angry everyday at the sinner. He loves us more than a parent loves their own child, so it is only for our own good that His righteous indignation remains on us. He doesn't want any to perish. If a child has been disobedient and has yet to be punished, then the punishment is still due. However, if the child asks for forgiveness, acknowledges the mistake, and seeks to do better, then the parent's discipline can be tempered or forgiven. If you've read Revelation you understand what God's wrath is. It is His righteous judgment being executed on the ungodly (unsaved) and will be so terrible men will cry out to die and will not.

Anytime Paul mentions God's wrath, he points out that the saved are not appointed for it. His purpose was to reassure the saints that God's wrath is directed at the unsaved. It is not intended for them. Paul says that literally there will be a "snatching away or catching up" of the saints (I Thes. 15:51-53) before the Great Tribulation. If we were intended to be in the Tribulation, why wouldn't Paul have warned us about enduring it when it comes? Why would he have said God's wrath is no longer on us and then expect us to be on the earth when God pours out His wrath on it? Paul is completely silent on this. A mid- or post-tribulation rapture of the church does not fit well with what Paul says. Neither does the "no-rapture" belief. However a pre-tribulation rapture seems to fit the context of Paul's comments as well as those of Jude (:14-15) and Peter (II Pet. 3:7, 12) who say that the saints are not the intended recipients of God's wrath. Without Jesus, God's wrath would still be on us. Jesus plainly states that "He who believes on the Son has [already!, this is the present tense] everlasting life: and he that believes not [on] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God still abides on him (John 3:36). Jesus has already, ahead of time, delivered us from God's wrath (I Thes. 1:10). Born once, die twice, born twice, die once (John 3 & 10:28-29, I John 3:1-2)!

Jude knows what's coming. He speaks of the unsaved in verse 22: "And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire...". How beautiful this is to me. To have compassion on the lost, knowing that God's wrath still rests on them (II Pet. 3:7-12, Rom 1:18, Col. 3:6), that the Great Tribulation will be a terrible time for those who don't know Christ. Thanks be to God for Jesus' supreme sacrifice that removed His wrath from us (Rom. 5:9, 9:22-23, Rev. 5:9-10, I Thes. 1:10). After the Great Tribulation, when we return with Jesus, I pray we see some we may have rescued, for we ourselves once needed rescuing (I Thes. 3:13, Zech. 14:5, Jude 14-15). This is compelling reason for me to continue to spread the Good News and go from door-to-door, into the streets, I have even went into liquor stores to share Gospel tracts. Why not, because someone once took the risk to tell me about Jesus and I received God's grace.

So I have taken the Great Commission seriously (Matt. 28:18-20/Acts 1:8). Why can we not risk rejection, ridicule and scorn to save some of those who remain under God's wrath? Am I willing to risk it? I have faced hostility and anger but I went out boldly anyway, not being ashamed of the Gospel. And so why not join me in this effort, while salvation is still available today for some...while it is still called today (II Cor. 6:2)? Today could be the last call.