“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, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 NKJV
Over the years I have enjoyed listening to different teachers talk about Jesus’ decision to refer to the end of the age by comparing it to a woman in labor. My thoughts on that have evolved over time, especially considering how often I have had the opportunity to be involved in labor with three daughters and seven grandchildren. While each journey has been unique and different, I have observed one constant with all which I believe might well be one of the biggest reasons Jesus chose to use a woman in labor as an illustration. Simply put, once labor starts, there is no stopping it.
The following article I want to share with you today contains an important message that I feel many, if not most, are hesitant to share in these times we find the Church experiencing right now. In my opinion, I believe not only are these words appropriate, but accurate as well and it is my strong feeling that the Church as a whole should take note of them.
Revival or Rapture?
By Jonathan Brentner
Is this it? Are we at the end of human history as know it? Is the Rapture next on God’s prophetic calendar? Or are we about to see a worldwide revival that will halt the world’s seemingly unstoppable path to the kingdom of the antichrist?
A song written and sung by Kari Jobe, Amen (Simple Gospel), affirms the later reality. The song contains these lyrics that point to the church as our hope in this current age:
“The church will arise / With power and love / Our cities will know / The glory of God / The future is bright / There's nothing to fear / Revival is now / The Kingdom is here”
The words to Jobe’s song sound wonderful, but does the Bible teach that the church will triumph over the current forces of darkness actively at work everywhere we look? No, it does not. Nor does it tell us that the future will be “bright” for planet earth apart from the return of Jesus. I am not sure what Kari Jobe believes about the future, but her words in this instance do not match what God’s Word says about what lies ahead.
I believe the world has passed the point of no return; the coming day of the Lord will soon sweep over the earth and forever change life on the planet. Scripture teaches that God’s wrath is on its way to a Christ-rejecting world.
As believers, we have cause for much optimism, but such an expectation lies exclusively in Jesus’ imminent return for His church. Our hope rests in our departure from this world, which may happen very soon.
Yes, many have turned to Jesus as a result of the media-driven fear that resulted from the COVID-19 virus. We hear about pockets of revival in many places. Millions of Muslims have turned to Christ in past two decades.
However, because of the following considerations, I believe the Rapture of the church represents the only real hope in our day.
The Converging of a Multitude of Signs
The main characteristic of today that sets it apart from any other time is the convergence of a multitude of prophetic signs found in the Bible.
Yes, the world wars of the past century were terrible and the death toll from the communist regimes exceeded one hundred million. However, back then the stage was not set for the antichrist as it is today.
Consider how the following conditions make today much different:
- Israel is flourishing as a nation.
- Israel is far along in its planning and preparation for the construction of the third temple.
- The technology that makes the mark of the beast possible has only emerged during the past five years.
- The globalists control many of the world governments.
- Lawlessness and widespread deception, marks of the coming Tribulation period, are already widespread across the earth and growing at an alarming rate.
- The world rests on the edge of all the conditions described in Revelation 6:1-8.
I could list several more as I did in a recent post, A Dozen Prophetic Signs that Tell Us We Live on the Edge of Eternity. Today is qualitatively different than any other period of history; the current prophetic signs of the Bible reveal the closeness of the seven-year tribulation.
The Globalists Already Control Many Nations
Klaus Schwab, the founder and head of the World Economic Forum, is one of many leaders who have been pushing for a one world government during the past several decades. His efforts have come to the forefront since the COVID-19 virus swept over the earth.
The Great Reset championed by the WEF is nothing less than a worldwide Marxist government that will enslave the people of the world. The virus and mRNA injections have become the backdrop for many nations imposing harsh restrictions on the populace. Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and many other countries have already imposed draconian restrictions on people that have all the earmarks of the coming Tribulation as described in the book of Revelation.
In America, Marxist governors and mayors are already seeking to restrict all public functions to the vaccinated.
The globalists already control much of the free world today and they will only intensify their stranglehold on all those under their control. For more on this, please see my previous post, Transhumanism and the Nearness of the Tribulation.
It’s not a denial of God’s redeeming power that leads me to believe we live in the last days of human history; no, it’s a belief in what God’s Word says about the last days that drives me to that conclusion.
The Resistance Will Fail
Like many of you, I have seen the tens of thousands marching in the streets across the world in protest of the “vaccine” mandates. In the United States, the resistance to the COVID-19 injections grows steadily as more and more evidence points to their ineffectiveness and severely harmful affect on those injected with them.
However, because of the time in which we live and the control that the globalists already have, I believe that the worldwide opposition to the mandates will eventually fail.
Initially, the news that the U.S. Supreme Court had blocked Biden’s vaccine mandate for large businesses encouraged me. However, the fact that they did not extend the same protection to healthcare personnel troubles me. Does that not suggest that they made their initial ruling on something other than individual freedom? Why should one group be exempt from these draconian measures while others suffer great harm from them?
Leo Hohmann, in his blog post Brace yourself for Impact: Luciferian elite launch ‘Great Collapse’ of Western civilization, wrote the following:
“It’s all designed to happen by very powerful entities that operate at a level above our elected political leaders. The decisions that are leading to the collapse are being made by those buying into Klaus Schwab’s vision as put forth by the World Economic Forum and allied entities such as the United Nations, the Gates, Rockefeller, Soros and Ford foundations, and the corporate power elites on the interlocking boards of directors at Blackrock, Vanguard, State Street and Fidelity. Those four financial investment houses own a controlling share of almost every one of the world’s largest corporations, including the largest banks.”[i]
The multitude of prophetic signs combined with the stranglehold that the globalists already have on the governments and world commerce tell me that the resistance we see will fail. To date, the protests have made no impact whatsoever in changing the policies of the nations where they have occurred.
It’s Too Late for America
Noticeably missing from pages of biblical prophecy is any mention of the United States. Something must happen to remove America from its current position of power and influence in the world, and indeed it’s already happening.
Please know that I love my country and cherish the freedoms and protections it has afforded me during my life. However, the powers that control the U.S. are leading us down a dark path from which there will be no return. We are divided as never before from a self-inflicted wound that’s incurable.
I believe God’s judgment is already here and will only get worse in the coming months. Even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade later this year, it will be far too late to make a lasting impact. The wicked scourge of abortion will continue unabated in many places.
Unless we put an immediate, total, and abrupt end to barbaric practice of abortion and the resulting infanticide, we will remain on the path of God’s judgment. I believe the destruction of the U.S. will happen soon after the Rapture, but the signs of America’s demise will continue to worsen until then.
Kari Jobe’s song, Amen (Simple Gospel), represents a false optimism that’s not found in Scripture nor does exist anywhere in our current world.
The church will not arise victorious and make the glory of God known in our cities. How can anyone expect such a result with the church in its current divided and apostate condition? Most churches today preach a diluted or false Gospel that renders them powerless to affect lifegiving changes in their cities. Many of them advocate the very sins tearing apart the fabric of our society. How can they be a light in the darkness?
I know of many pastors and teachers that advocate the church as our hope. I have heard this over and over from those with a wide variety of beliefs, even from those who say they believe the Bible.
However, the future only holds joy and wonder because of Christ. He’s coming soon to take us up to heaven. We have a glorious future because of Jesus.
It’s not just a matter of revival versus the Rapture; it’s that of trusting the only One with power to change the world in which we live.
Jesus is the One that will bring about the glorious time we know as the Millennium. Those that believe the church will bring about such a restoration either do not know, believe, or understand Scripture.
[i] Leo Hohmann, Brace yourself for Impact: Luciferian elite launch ‘Great Collapse’ of Western civilization, at: https://leohohmann.com/2022/01/15/brace-yourself-for-impact-luciferian-elite-launch-great-collapse-of-western-civilization/#more-8723
Keep watching.
