davidbowerkingwood

The Gospel Message after the Rapture

The Bible’s focus for the end times is on Israel so the Bible narrative really picks up after Israel signs the covenant agreement with the Antichrist. Starting in Revelation 4 the church is no longer mentioned and Israel has taken center stage.

While it is true God is increasing the pressure on the world we may see this, in effect, as the foxhole conversion scenario; the increasing pressure shows those left behind they are not up to the task of survival on their own.

It is likely the Rapture event itself will serve as a catalyst for many to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. It is certainly going to produce chaos in the United States and to some lesser degree in other nations around the world.

The 144,000 Apostle Paul’s

In 1 Corinthians 15:8 the Apostle Paul writes, “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” I like to think of this in two ways, Paul may have been writing about the lateness of his arrival on the scene but I also like to think of him as a type of the 144,000 Jews who will evangelize the world during the Tribulation.

There will be 144,000 Jewish young men who are walking down the road, so to speak, when suddenly they are called by the Lord Jesus Christ into His service. I am convinced they will proceed with their ministries with the same enthusiasm we see in the Apostle Paul. Revelation 7

The Two Witnesses

In Revelation 11 the ministry of the two witnesses is described; they will be a thorn in the side of the world as they bear testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. In verses 7 and following the narrative picks up:

7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.”

For centuries there was no explanation for verse 9; it was thought to be impossible for something like that to happen, there was no way for “all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies.” Now we know it is not only possible but done every day with world-wide television coverage of events being broadcast to a variety of electronic devices.

Can you imagine the terror that is struck into the hearts and minds of the viewers as those two corpses they’ve been watching suddenly come back to life? How many of those viewers do you think will suddenly start reconsidering the testimony they heard from those two witnesses?

Angelic Proclamation of the Gospel

In Revelation 14:8 we read of the testimony of one of God’s angels:

“6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”

Would that get your attention? I know it would certainly get mine! Please notice how widely this message is distributed, “to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” I don’t think that leaves anyone out, do you?

Those three dramatic events, four if we count the Rapture, are certainly enough to fulfill God’s promise in Matthew 24:14 wouldn’t you agree? The results in conversions to Christ by this massive evangelistic effort will be “a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9) That vast crowd will just be those who have died for their faith; in addition the entire mortal population at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ will have been converted during this terrible period as well and will repopulate the world. Talk about a holocaust survivor!

The end of this era is certain and inevitable; the Lord Jesus Christ will return at the Second Advent and bring the Times of the Gentiles to a close.

20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.