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Virtually every Christian I know feels that the rapture is very near. Of course, what we "feel" doesn't mean squat to God, yet the signs that we are told of are certainly in evidence. The Church Age is a dispensation, the gathering of the Royal Family, of which we are part. No prophecy will take place during this age, for the rapture is the next prophecy on the Divine agenda. Consequently, we will not see the emergence of the Beast, spoken of in Revelation. Neither will we see any of the events detailed by John in that book. What we do know is that the rapture will occur at the onset of the Tribulation, and since many of the events which will occur in that seven year period are massive in scope, they will take years to unfold. Therefore, the rapture generation will see the stirrings of these events, and by those signs we will know that the rapture is near. Israel is at the center of the tribulational events, for Satan will make one final bid to eradicate the Jews, a feat he has attempted many times. If he is successful in this endeavor he will prove God a liar, and victory will be his. I refer to God's unconditional promises to Israel, both the "land covenant", given to Abraham, and the promise of His return to claim the rulership of his people as the Messiah, the Greater Son of David. With this in mind, the current situation in the middle east is of particular importance, for therein will lie many of the clues that the rapture is coming soon. Obviously, the existence of a Jewish state is paramount. Secondly, there will be circumstances leading to the last great conflagration, Armageddon, which may well be underway at this writing. As you may be aware, all the nations on earth will be amassed in the Valley of Megiddo on the eve of that battle. The question remains, why will they be there? Some hold that Israel has significant military strategic value, due to its location. While this is true, some recent news may hold spectacular portent. Two former presidents of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (one an Exxon CEO, and the other a Shell CEO) determined, based upon initial exploration data, that there is an oil deposit in Israel that contains a potential 2 billion barrels of petroleum. It is interesting that the well they originally drilled in 1979(which failed to yield results) was very near the present town of Megiddo. Zion Oil is now returning to that abandoned well to drill it deeper. IF they discover oil, and the volume is at the levels predicted by the two geologists, it will be the largest oil deposit in the world, and Israel would become the richest nation on earth with enormous power. The discovery would also bear directly on the reason for such intense interest by an oil-thirsty world in the tribulation, for obvious reasons. We should watch for this development with great anticipation. Among the other factors which relate to the prophecy of Revelation are the reformation of the Roman Empire, a process which is now nearly complete in the alliance known as the European Economic Union. This group of nations have already put a governing body in place and given them the power to pass legislation. They have already replaced the currencies of the member nations with euro-dollars. There is widespread anti-semitism, and the tenor is growing more ferocious every day. A third factor is the absence of the United States in prophecy. The reason this is a critical issue is that we are God's Client Nation, and have been since our inception. One might suppose, then, that we would play a major role in the events of the Tribulation if the rapture is near, but this is not necessarily the case. America is in decline, and I mean SERIOUS decline. Our culture is as degenerate as that of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the kingdom of Sumaria, just prior to their destruction. In fact of the four essential characteristics which qualify a nation to become a client nation we have only two reaming that are in good shape; A strong economy and our alliance with the Jews. The other two categories are under attack and have already waned to an alarming degree; a strong military and a free state. Just how the present condition of America and the possible rapture may coincide is a dire scenario. It would require the destruction of our nation, and probably by a nuclear holocaust. I hasten to add, this is purely speculation on my part. Here's my reasoning; God always gives Satan a tremendous advantage. In this way He is glorified, and at the end Satan won't have a leg to stand on. All of the plan of God is played out in the cosmos diabolicus, Satan's empire. He wields a formidable;e control over people and events, yet God will prevail. Along those lines, God may allow the rapture to be concealed, allow some cataclysmic event to veil the disappearance of millions of Christians. Of course, this could be a gigantic natural disaster of some sort, but my contention is that we will be taken up at the precise moment that a salvo of nuclear warheads strike our cities. The Greek word for rapture implies a deliverance from imminent peril. There is another dimension to my reasoning. Satan knows scriptures as well as the most learned human being, and he knows his time is short. Like us, he doesn't know when the rapture will occur, but when it does he will use it to his advantage in this way; There will be a judgement at the conclusion of the Tribulation called the Baptism of Fire in which all unbelievers will be removed from the earth. The Millennium, the last 1,000 years of human history, will begin will only believers in Jesus Christ. Satan, in his twisted genius, will tell those who remain after the rapture that it was the Baptism of Fire and they, those left behind, are true believers. The notion of a holocaust not only lends credence to this strategy, in that it is literally an inferno, but it would explain how so many could disappear in one moment. Related to my theory, this would also explain why Britain refuses to become a member of the EEU. The majority of the English are also Christians, and because they are our staunch ally, it follows that the enemy attacking us would nuke them as well. Finally, an explanation for the acceptance of one man, by all the world's nations, as their leader. Imagine what will happen if the United States is destroyed. The world's economy will collapse because it depends heavily upon our economic stability. There would also be world wide terror that those who destroy us may also level any nation that fails to cooperate. Suffice it to say that the situation would be extremely grave. Only such circumstances would set the stage for the Beast stepping in and seizing power without opposition from anyone. They will be desperate for any solution to their fears. There are other factors in place, such as the power of the Roman Church, which is called the Scarlet Whore in prophecy. One sign we won't see take place will be the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple, but I understand that blueprints are already complete. The Dome of the Rock now stands there, the most sacred place on earth to Muslims. Tearing it down would certainly meet stiff opposition, perhaps even a declaration of war. We don't know when the rapture will occur, but we are encouraged to watch expectantly, and pray for the return of our Lord to resurrect His Church. Never in history have so many factors been ideal, foreshadowing the possible rapture. When it does happen it will be a total surprise, the Bible says Christ will come "like a theif in the night", completely unexpected. Commerce and the affairs of men will be rocking along as usual, there will be an environment of what appears to be peaceful co-existence between all nations of the earth, or the super powers at any rate. Yet, there will be upheaval on a limited scale, for in that time the makeup of world politics will foreshadow the end of the Church Age. If we are the last Client Nation, we will have powerful enemies, countries that wield the military might to destroy us. Seems to me that we have arrived! |