Already this year, the trolls have come out of the woodwork to tell us they "know" the rapture/escape/harpazo will definitely not happen this year or any year until "their" year and we should not both watching for the return of the Lord until 7 or more years from now. These people have a gigantic problem and that problem is not with the opinions of other men, their problem is with the Word of God on multiple different counts.
1. Willful disobedience-they have been told in very straightforward fashion what they are supposed to do and not only do they refuse to do it themselves, they teach others not to do it as well. What is it they mock, and refuse to do? Watch for the unexpected arrival of the Lord.
Mark 13:32“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard! Be alert e ! You do not know when that time will come. 34It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
35“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’
The Lord God says two things to us very clearly in language a 4th grade student could understand. 1. Neither you nor any other man or woman, not even the Son of God knows when this is going to happen. There is a day and hour no one knows about, but the mockers and scoffers assure us "they know." The Son of God does not know but they know.....righhhhhhhhht. And 2. Watch, watch, watch. The Lord is not one to repeat Himself but when He does we better pay attention. When He repeats Himself here THREE TIMES in back to back sentences perhaps He is trying to really emphasize the message? He tells us to watch. Watch for what? To watch specifically for His unexpected coming. The trolls, mockers and scoffers tell us not to bother. Who should we listen to?
Look, this nobody who writes to you today will be the first to admit, I do not know when the Son of God will unexpectedly return for us. And guess what? Nor does anybody else. But it is not why we do not know that matters. What matters is what we know for a fact and that is: we were commanded to always be watching and ready for the unexpected (yes, "secret") return of the Lord. That is an undisputed, absolutely rock solid Biblical fact. Guess what benefits that command comes with? Another absolute certainty, if we do what He told us to do we cannot possibly miss the rapture/escape/harpazo. If He comes back pre-trib, we are watching and ready. If He comes back mid-trib, we are watching and ready. If He comes back post-trib, we are watching and ready. Wow, it sounds like doing exactly what the Lord told us to do, is the best way to move forward on the rapture debate. Who would have thought?
There are many things in the Word of God that this brother does not know or understand but this is certainly not one of them. We must do what we were told to do. The people who want to mock every year around this time do so at their own peril. I dont think there will be alot of mocking on the day the Son of God arrives unexpectedly. That is an event 100% rock solid guaranteed to happen. What will happen to those people who mocked us for diligently watching day in and day out for years on end for the return of the Lord? Will they be rewarded according to what they believe (left behind)? Only the Lord knows.
We have a hope that nobody can take away from us. The Lord is coming and He will do so on a day and hour that nobody knows. We are to comfort each other with these words which is precisely what this servant is doing right now.
1 Thess:13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Luke 21 34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come on you unawares. 35For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
We were specifically commanded to pray that we may "escape all these things" that are about to happen. This servant encourages you to do precisely the same thing. Tune out everything else except the infallible Word of God and let it do its work on you and in you. We have many promises this world knows nothing about. One of those great, fantastic promises is this promise of escape for those who are watching and praying for it.
Be encouraged, be comforted, be watching and be ready. The Lord our God is coming back for us on a day and hour we do not know. He has promised us an escape that the enemy hates with a seething hatred (which is why he sends his servants out to mock). If we do what we were told to do in words that little children can understand, we will not be disappointed.
Glory to God
grace and peace
