The Scriptural Signs of the Last Days™ have never been stronger & widespread. They’re pointing to imminent fulfillment of the greatest of prophecies. What should we be looking for? …For the Antichrist, for the battle of Armageddon? Like a secret, this momentous event will catch the world by surprise.
The Signs of the Last Days™ are screaming at us that the greatest event ever is imminent. A sign is a quality or event whose presence indicates the occurrence of something else. It’s an indication, a signal or pointer. It’s like a highway sign indicating you’re near the destination. And the roiling pot of world events is boiling up with significant Signs of the Last Days™ telling us this event of Scriptural prophecy is to happen any time now.
What is the next prophetic event we should be looking for? It’s not the Antichrist and not the Battle of Armageddon but a secret appearance in the clouds. Only a certain group will hear and see it, no one else in the world; not world leaders, not religious leaders, not the famous, not the wealthy, will know until after it’s happened. It’s reserved as an experience only for those current and in the past who have been born again into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Saints of the Lord.
The Apostle Paul, who saw the glorified Lord Jesus and as well the Third Heaven, had the vision and understanding of this prophecy; And he described it in 1 Thessalonians 4th Chapter saying, “
For 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
This is the imminent event of prophecy we should intently be looking for to happen any moment now. The Rapturous catching away from the world the Church of Jesus Christ, those dead and alive in Christ, into the clouds to be with the Lord Jesus just as Paul describes.
Apostle Paul and other believers in his day were looking and watching for the event of the Rapture at any time! And from the Scripture we understand that this prophetic event of the Rapture is imminent. The Apostle Paul said we should be looking and waiting for it.
In Titus 2:13 he says, “… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”; and in Hebrews 9:28 he says “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation”; also in Philippians 3: 20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly w
ait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body”; and then in 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 “…so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Even now the Signs of the Last Days™ are strongly indicating the world is preparing to enter soon into the events in the final years at the End of the Age of the Times of the Gentiles. The Scripture calls it a Time of Trouble during a number of years of Tribulation such as the world has never known in which some of the greatest horror the world will ever see occurs; when the wrath of God is poured out onto the world through their willful disobedience to His Word and continuing love for sinfulness.
However, the Church is taught not to be looking for the occurrences of God’s wrath, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another….”1 Thessalonians 5:9-11; “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10
Instead of looking for events of God’s wrath in the tribulation we are to be “… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us….” Titus 2:13-14
Yet this prophetic event of the Rapture is a mystery or secret to the world which will catch them unaware. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
An example is just like in the days of Noah. They didn’t believe a rain and flood like Noah foretold, it had never happened before. And the world knew not until Noah was already in the Ark and the Lord had closed the door, then the flood of God’s judgement took them away. Likewise, those who are not in C
hrist’s Church will not expect the blessed event of the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Rapture is also described as an event like that of a thief in the night. The prophecy says in 1 Thessalonians 5th Chapter, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them…. And they shall not escape.”
For His Church, we don’t know the day or the hour, but it is given to us to know the times and seasons. And as the Bride of Christ we are watching and looking for the approaching Bridegroom. We will rise to meet him in the Rapture and go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and a time of rewards; while the world goes to great tribulation until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth with his Saints to bring peace to the world.
Learn more in our Prophecy Study “Understanding the Signs of the Last Days™”.