CENTRAL THOUGHT Every believer should be ready for the rapture.

HYMN: WHEN THE TRUMPMET OF THE LORD SHALL SOUND.

TEXT: Matthew 24:21-24; Romans 11:25-31

INTRODUCTION

The coming of the LORD is a biblical fact. The rapture, which will occur first, is the coming in the air; when the saints meet the Lord in the air, takes them back to heaven with Him, presents them to the Father where they remain during the time the tribulation is running its course on the earth, 1 Thessalonians 3:13; John 14:1-3. The marriage super and the judgement of the saints take place in heaven. The rapture is different from the second advent of the LORD. At the second advent, after the tribulation, the LORD and the saints leave heaven together to come down to the earth, 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19. Therefore, the rapture is the time the LORD comes for the saints to take them to heaven while the second advent is the time He comes from heaven with the saints to the earth to live here and fulfil a mission.

After the rapture while the saints will be with the LORD in heaven, there will be untold woes going on in the earth for unbelievers and “believers” that missed the rapture. The consequences of missing the rapture will be grave. The purpose of this lesson is not to prepare us, believers, for the events on earth after the rapture but rather to warn us of the terrible times that will be on earth after the rapture and to encourage us to take our faith more seriously. The great tribulation, an event after the rapture, will be so terrible that the LORD Himself described it as, “…great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”, Matthew 24:21.

Dear believer, this is not the time to play church or be half- heartedly committed to the LORD; the times we live in call for a total consecration, commitment and a whole hearted practice of our faith.

LESSON OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study are:

1. To understand the consequences of missing the rapture.
2. To know what the great tribulation is and what characterized it.
3. To know how some events of the present day world compare with event of the great tribulation.
4. To understand how to live in view of the soon return of the LORD.

BIBLE TRUTH

1.) WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISSING THE RAPTURE?

The rapture is an event which every believer should look forward to with great expectation. The rapture can occur any moment and this should make the believer be in a state of preparedness always. However, and unfortunately, some persons who call themselves believers may miss the rapture. The consequences of missing the rapture are grave.

A major consequence of missing the rapture is having to experience or pass through the period of the great tribulation. The great tribulation is a time of great horror upon the earth. It will be a horrifying experience for anyone to be on the earth during the time of the great tribulation.

Also, there will be great apostasy after the rapture, obviously arising from the trials and persecutions of the great tribulation. At the rapture of all dead and living in CHRIST will arise in a moment, 1 Corinthians 15:23,57-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13- 18, not one soul will be left on earth who is a steadfast Christian or in Christ.

Multitudes will soon be saved afterward through an awakening, Revelation 6:9-11, 7:1-17, 12:17. The rest will become so hardened as to seek to destroy those being saved in those days, Revelation 9:20- 21, 16:2, 9:11. The great whore of Revelation 17 will destroy multitudes of Christians during the first 3.5 years of Daniel’s 70^th week while the antichrist is coming to power. When he comes too powerful, he (the antichrist) will destroy the great whore, establish the beast worship and kill multitudes that will not worship him and his image or take his brands, Revelation 7:7-17, 13:1-18, 14:9-13, 15:2-4, 16:6-11, 17:2-4, 16:17.

Many of the Christians at the time who cannot endure will certainly fall away. This is the great apostasy of 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

The ultimate consequence of missing the rapture is the risk of not making it to heaven. The events of the great tribulations will be so terrible that many may give up their faith and ultimately miss heaven.

2.) WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY “THE GREAT TRIBULATION”?

MATTHEW 24:21; REVELATION 7:14

Tribulation ordinarily refers to trouble or suffering. It includes distresses, hardship, problems, persecutions etc. The believer while living on earth goes through some of these experiences. The LORD made it abundantly clear to His disciples that persecution is part of our Christian experience in the daily walk with God. He declared plainly in Mark 10:29-30, “and JESUS answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or children, or lands for my sake, and the Gospel’s but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lands with persecutions; and in world to come eternal life”.

However, the great tribulation refers to a period of mass troubles, distress, persecution, hardship on earth after the rapture but specifically targeted at Christians who will be on earth during that period. The antichrist will emerge as the ruler of the world during that period. With cooperation and support from his lieutenants, the antichrist will establish the beast worship and persecute and kill multitudes who will not worship him and his image. This will be an event that will occur at a scale never experienced before by mankind.

Biblical prophecy suggests that the period of the tribulation coincides with Daniel’s 70^th week in his 70 week vision. Generally, it is believed those seven years of this age, beginning after the rapture of the saints (the church) and ending with the second advent of the LORD JESUS. Amen.

3.) WHAT WILL CHARACTERIZE THE GREAT TRIBULATION?

MATTHEW 24:21-22; DANIEL 12:1

God’s wrath will be poured out upon mankind for their wickedness and corruption.

Such wickedness will exceed the wickedness of the days of Noah and Lot, Genesis 6; Matthew 24:37-39; Luke17:22-37; 2 Timothy 3:1-12. Words cannot describe the utter rebellion and wickedness of men during this period. Men will reject the truth until GOD turns them over to the strong delusion of the antichrist who will cause them to believe a lie and be damned.

There will be great terror as the world will be governed with an “iron-hand” by the antichrist. The antichrist will stop the worship of GOD and establish beast worship.

Furthermore, he will persecute the people of GOD. Living conditions will be dreadful for those who are not on his side. To buy and sell, the individual must have the mark of the beast. Anyone who does not receive the mark will not be able to engage in any form of merchandise.

Also, specifically for Israel as a nation, the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation period will be more severe in persecution for them. This is because the antichrist who will protect Israel in the first 3 ½ years, will break his covenant with them (in the middle of Daniel’s 70^th week, Daniel 9) and become Israel’s most bitter enemy. The antichrist will then try to destroy Israel; which act will call for the judgement of the seven vials of the last 3 ½ years. The LORD Himself as prophets Daniel, Jeremiah and many others speak of this time of Israel’s trouble and being worse than any other time that has ever been on earth or ever will be, Jeremiah 30:4-11; Revelation 11:1-2, 12:14-17; Revelation 13:5-7.

The world history is replete with the rise and fall of many evil rulers who unleashed terror in their realm of authority. Examples include Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Nero and Antiochus. Hitler had an unprecedented hatred for the Jews and persecuted and killed many of them. In the then Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR, Soviet Union), Christians were persecuted and tortured for their faith. Churches and fellowships had to be held “underground”, for fear of destruction and possible extermination by evil and wicked rulers.

The purpose of writing these here is not to reawaken emotions that people are putting behind them or to undermine the reconciliatory efforts going on in these parts of the world. The purpose is to emphasize the fact that in case people are having doubts of the possibility of an antichrist rising up and ruling the world with such wicked terror; then they should remember that similar incidents though in lesser degree have occurred before. With increased knowledge in computerization and technology, it will be much easier for the antichrist to unleash his terror on today’s world.

Apart from these popular displays of evil, in local communities all over the world, believers today undergo one form of persecution or the other. In some villages with pagan/idolatrous settings, they are denied several privileges, persecuted, and tortured for their faith.

5.) HOW SHOULD THE BELIEVER CONDUCT HIMSELF IN VIEW OF THE EVENTS OF THE LAST DAYS? LUKE 21:34-36; 2 PETER 3:14

The believer should be conscious of the LORD’s return. Every believer must place value on the kingdom of heaven and resolve that nothing will hinder them from entering the kingdom, Matthew 18:8-9. As stated earlier, the rapture is an event that could occur any moment. The believer therefore must be in a state of preparedness. Missing the rapture implies going through the period of great tribulation which will be a time of terror and hardship in the earth.

As Christians, we must conduct ourselves in holiness and righteousness. We should believe GOD’s word wholeheartedly and apply ourselves effectively to the practice of the word. We should not be swayed by “modern-day preachers”, which appear to place less emphasis on personal conduct of holy living. Let us take to heart Peter’s admonition – “Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless”, 2 Peter 3:14.

DAILY LIVING APPLICATION

The imminence of the LORD’s return is not in doubt.

Prophecies concerning the end time events are being fulfilled. The believers should always be conscious of the LORD’s return and be in a state of readiness. The Scripture heralds the beginning of the end time events. The believer should maintain a life of holiness and readiness so that at the rapture, they will not be left behind. Missing the rapture exposes one to the danger of passing through the great tribulation.

MEMORY VERSE

Luke 21:36

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Monday: Rapture – a reality.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tuesday: Good Christian conduct.

Romans 12:8-21

Wednesday: Maintain holiness.

2 Peter 3:13-18

Thursday: Keep heaven in focus.

1 John 3:1-3

Friday: Watch and pray.

Matthew 25:1-13

Saturday: Be actively involved in the LORD’s work.

Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27