The End is Not Yet

Here’s a good, encouraging article from Terry James of Rapture Ready.

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“World War III has begun.”

I’ve heard this statement from many sources lately—a good number of them have come from secular pundits like radio talk-show hosts and news commentary panelists. However, more and more, such declarations are coming from Christians who look at the issues and events of the day in light of Bible prophecy.

Indeed, things popping up in the Middle East are more than enough to cause the entire world’s population to become angst-ridden. It does look as if the genie’s bottle of global war might have been uncorked.

Again, it isn’t the secular news commentators who elicit my interest in the World War III talk. It is the growing number of declarations by the Bible prophecy watchers that draws my attention.

And I mean no disrespect to or undue criticism of the writers, speakers, and broadcasters of Bible prophecy who are ratcheting up WW III talk. They’re my colleagues and brothers in Christ–even though we may disagree on some aspects of prophecy yet future, such as whether the Rapture will be pre-Tribulation or whether the Rapture will, in fact, occur at all. (I like to appropriate ol’ Dr. J Vernon McGee’s apothegm in those cases: “They have a right to be wrong. But if they want to be right, they should come along with me.”) 

Better put, that great preacher declared they should come along with the Bible’s take on the issues. And that take is that a Rapture is coming–before the Tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week) that leads to all-out global destruction, culminating in that greatest of all conflicts, Armageddon.

That the WW III talk among communicators within the Bible prophecy community is ramping up can be seen in the following excerpt taken from a well-known contemporary writer:

Right now, we are all witnessing some of the most pivotal moments in all of human history.  For a long time, I warned my readers that a great war would be coming to the Middle East.  In fact, I specifically warned that it would be one of “the 3 wars of the apocalypse.” I didn’t expect the Great Middle East War to arrive quite so quickly, but here we are. Once thousands of missiles start flying back and forth, none of our lives will ever be the same again. We are literally watching an apocalyptic scenario play out right in front of our eyes, and it is all going to begin once Israeli forces move into Gaza…

So here we go.

This is it…

Sadly, there is no way out now.

The clock is ticking, and the Middle East will soon erupt in flames…

We knew that this was coming.

Now it is here.

But even at this late stage, most of the world still has no idea what is coming next… (“Here We Go – The IDF Is Given the “Green Light” as U.S. Forces in the Middle East Come under Fire,” by Michael, October 19, 2023, Rapture Ready News)

The writer does a stellar job of filling in reportorial elements making up his apocalyptic view that there is now no way out. He presents important news of prophetic interest taking place. His reporting on what’s been happening in the conflict surrounding Israel is on the money. He is a very good reporter on things important to the stage being set for fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

I disagree totally with his assessment that there’s no way out, but do agree with his statement: “But even at this late stage, most of the world still has no idea what is coming next.”

My disagreement with his assessment in its totality is based upon the biblical truth that we know this isn’t the time of all-out war on earth, because Jesus foretold:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6).

The Lord then went on to tell about all that must happen up to and including humankind’s final war. He, in His ascended glory, filled out the conclusion, then, by giving John, His beloved disciple and the writer of Revelation, the full scope of the wrap-up of human history.

Most folks absolutely do not know what is coming next, as the writer says. That includes believers (true Christians) who never consider God’s rescue plan for them. That also includes the writer of the above article, who denies the biblical truth of the pre-Trib Rapture. He believes, according to all I’ve learned from his writing, that believers will go through those seven years of horror.

So, while prospects for war are daunting, as we scan the future landscape, we can be assured that “the end is not yet.” We are, in fact, looking directly into the future with Christ’s Words: “Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of war.” With the murderous wars in Ukraine, the bloody war in the Middle East, and the rumors of World War III front and center, proof abounds of where we stand on God’s prophetic timeline.

Yet, again, “the end is not yet.” The Holy Spirit is still in God’s business of restraining the evil intents of Satan and humankind.

Those who study and believe God’s Word–His entire Word—know what is coming next: the Rapture. We know this because we are not appointed to wrath (Revelation 3:10). And the seven years of Tribulation will be God’s wrath poured upon a rebellious, anti-God world of earth dwellers. World War III is indeed going to happen as part of that judgment and wrath.

Be Rapture Ready so that you won’t experience even one moment of that terrible time.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

 https://www.raptureready.com/2023/11/01/the-end-is-not-yet-by-terry-james-2/