2 Peter 24For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,a putting them into gloomy dungeonsb to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment
In the presence of two or three witnesses we establish truth right?
1. Luke 21:36-escape from all promised to those found worthy
2. Revelation 3:10 the promise to be kept from the hour of testing
3. 2 Peter 2-the Lord knows how to RESCUE godly men from trials...that word trials there is the same word used in Revelation 3:10 for testing. Let the bible interpret the bible right? Furthermore, when we look at the word used for "rescue" in 2 Peter 2 what do we find?
There are three ^^^
To draw to oneself....sound like the rapture to you? Caught up in the clouds to be with the Lord forever sound familiar? It does to me. And whats the context used in 2 Peter 2? The stories of Noah and Lot. Over and over again the Lord presses this point home. What specifically does the Lord tell us about Noah and Lot?
Luke 17:27 ...until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came...
Luke 17:29 ...the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all...
The day that the righteous leave, destruction falls.
More and more people these days are denying there will be a pre-tribulation rapture. Not only does this defy the plain reading of scripture, it also defies any basic sense. How does it make sense to believe your way out of an escape from the tribulation? If there was no pre-tribulation rapture (which there certainly is) then you would instantly be looking for the rapture at some other point once you were sure that the tribulation had started and the rapture had not occurred yet. As it is, many many people confessing Christianity have zero faith that the Lord will do what He clearly said He would do. 2 Peter 2 tells us the Lord knows how to rescue the righteous from the time of testing, how much clearer could it be said?
He did it for Noah, He did it for Lot, but masses of people today believe the Lord will not do it for them. What happens if the Lord deals with them according to their lack of faith and leaves them here to face the tribulation after rescuing the Bride like He said He would? What will happen to their faith when they face the reality that they missed the escape? How many of them will fall away?
Recently the Lord has given me even more evidence of the certainty of the pre-tribulation rapture/escape/rescue of His people. The enemy is busy employing their servants to deny the existence of the rapture/escape/rescue while at the same time they are getting ready for it themselves!
Why hasn't the economy collapsed yet? Destruction falls AFTER the pre-tribulation rapture.
Why hasn't WW3 started yet? Destruction falls AFTER the pre-tribulation rapture.
Why haven't people been rounded up for FEMA camps yet? Destruction falls AFTER the pre-tribulation rapture.
Why hasn't Babylon (America AND Rome) been destroyed yet? Destruction falls AFTER the pre-tribulation rapture.
Why haven't a myriad of other threats to humanity begun to radically impact the masses of humanity? Destruction falls AFTER the pre-tribulation rapture.
They can mock if they want to. The Lord told us clearly this would be the time of mockers. "Where is the promise of His coming" they ask.
The evidence is all around us that destruction on a scale unimaginable is coming soon, the signs are everywhere. I do not want to stay on this planet an second longer than I have to when I consider the great and precious promises the Lord has made to us. When the Lord speaks, we would be wise to take Him at His Word. When we are promised something, we would be wise to hold that promise tight in our hearts minds and spirits until the promise is fulfilled.
What would have happened to Noah if he told the Lord that he wanted to hang around on a piece of wood floating along the flood to continue preaching because "his work wasn't done yet." Who determines when our work is done for the Lord? Us? Who is the servant and who is the Master? Do you see the insanity these people who discount the escape practice in their reasoning?
What if Lot told the angels to get out of town because he wasn't finished trying to convert homosexuals in Sodom? Isn't it ridiculous to even ask these questions? Yet this same line of reasoning is what we hear day in and day out from people who call themselves Christians today.
It makes no sense to me whatsoever to believe myself out of the rescue/escape/rapture that the Lord details for us in His Word. If I am wrong about the timing of the rapture then my faith is in Jesus and I will soldier on as I have done up to this point. If "they" are wrong about the pre-tribulation rapture then it is possible many of them may not escape and they will be very very sorry.
Today is day 1 of my 77 day watch for the return of the Lord. I am not predicting the Lord will return, I am watching the signs and signals all around us and preparing myself in case the Lord does return. I don't see any reward for people who are found not watching when the Master returns. For them I see harsh punishment. For those found watching there is a reward.
Luke 1235“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Keep your lamps burning? Does that bring anything to mind?
Matt 25:1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
I have no idea on what day or hour our Lord will return for us. What I see around us makes me think the season of His return might be upon us. Since I do not know for sure, I must be ready for His return EVERY DAY, unlike the self-confident dismissive and smug who tell us with confidence that the Lord cannot return yet. We will find out soon enough who the wise and who the foolish virgins are. Does it take missing the escape for them to learn to take the Lord at His Word?
These are the thoughts of your brother watching in readiness for the Lords return.
Keep the faith, grace and peace
