Most often, the teaching re-appears during times of world crisis, social upheaval, pandemics, war, rumors of war, etc., to help bring focus on the soon coming return of Jesus who will stop it all and set up His Kingdom on Earth for 1,000 years.
The Second Coming of Jesus is the blessed hope of the Church (Titus 2:3; also Amos 5:18). The first "coming of the Lord" was at His birth. Jesus told the Disciples that He would return in power and "descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel," for His second "coming" immediately after the seventh and final trumpet sound of the Tribulation, which begins the day of His wrath that will be unleashed on those who have rejected Him as Lord and Savior, as He 'gathers' all His people; both the righteous living and those who have died, and take them with Him in spectacular power and glory to Israel to fight and defeat the Antichrist and his armies, and then begins His Millennial reign as "all things are subjected to Him" to establish the "Kingdom of Heaven" (2 Peter 1:16; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39; John 6:40, 44,54; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonian 4:4:16,13-18,5:1-10; 2 Thess 1:7-11, 2:1-4; Revelation 11:15-19, 19:20; see also 1 Corinthians 15:23,28,51-54; Zechariah 14:2; Jeremiah 6:11).
Over the last 200+- years, two theories emerged known as the Pre-Tribulation and Mid-Tribulation removal of Born-Again Christians from the Earth by Jesus, commonly called the Rapture, before His return. The word 'rapture' does not appear anywhere in the Bible. St. Jerome (c. 347-420 A.D.) translated the Greek word 'harpazõ' into the Latin 'rapiemur' when he translated the Latin New Testament from the Greek New Testament. The Latin verb form of 'rapiemur' is 'rapio' and means "to seize, snatch away" and is used 13 times in the New Testament. The English word "rapture" came from these Latin words and was chosen to encompass how Jesus would remove the Church (Gk: 'ecclesia') from the Earth prior to the pouring out of God's wrath upon those who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior on the single and final day of judgment at the end of history where He will judge all (Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14,15,18,2:2; Matthew 10:15; 11:22,24; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:2,4; 2 Peter 2:9, 3:7; 1 Corinthians 1:8, 3:13; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6,10; Jude 6; Romans 2:5,16; Hebrews 10:25; Revelation 6:17). This final wrathful judgment, also known as 'Jacobs trouble, 'begins after the Great Tribulation (Revelation 20:11-15, also Jeremiah 30:7).
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
Only a handful of historical documents are used as evidence to support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory. In context, the writers were living during times of tribulation against the Church. In virtually every case throughout history, the writers who are used to validate the removal of the Church in some form or another were living in times of great tribulation and believed they would not be on Earth when God's imminent judgment and wrath would be poured out. It wasn't until the 1800s that the Pre and Mid-Rapture doctrines began and became widespread within the Church.
Here are seven of the major and most often quoted authors.
1. The Shepherd of Hermas (95-150 A.D.) wrote:
"You have escaped from great Tribulation on account of your faith, and because you did not doubt in the presence of such a beast. Go, therefore, and tell the elect of the Lord His mighty deeds, and say to them that this beast is a type of the great Tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly."
The actual issue addressed is about focusing on Jesus alone and remaining loyal to Him and the Church.
2. Irenaeus (A.D. 120-202) wrote "Against Heresies," which was one of the prophetic writings of the early Church. He believed that Jesus would soon take the Church and set up His earthly kingdom here on Earth for a literal 1000 years. He wrote;
"And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be." For this is the last contest of the righteous, in which, when they overcome they are crowned with incorruption."
He lived in a time of ever-increasing persecution (aka tribulation) against the Church during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and later died a martyr. He spoke of the end as the last "contest of the righteous" when they are ultimately "crowned with incorruption."
3. Cyprian (200-258 A.D.) was the first Bishop and martyr of Africa. He wrote enthusiastically about the imminent coming of the Lord. In his work “Treatise of Cyprian,” he wrote:
“We who see that terrible things have begun, and know that still more terrible things are imminent, may regard it as the greatest advantage to depart from it as quickly as possible. Do you not give God thanks, do you not congratulate yourself, that by an early departure you are taken away, and delivered from the shipwrecks and disasters that are imminent? Let us greet the day which assigns each of us to his own home, which snatches us hence, and sets us free from the snares of the world and restores us to paradise and the kingdom.”
It seems very clear that he believed the Church was living under great distress and suffering resulting from oppression and persecution.
4. Victorinus (circa 300+—A.D.) wrote a commentary on the Book of Revelation and made the following statement about Revelation 6:14.
"The distance between the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousand years. I say, somewhat more; because the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air' (1 Thessalonians. iv. 17); and this will be about three years and a half before the millennium, as we shall see hereafter: but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No: they will ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many' mansions in the father's house' (John xiv. 2), and disappear during the foresaid period of time. The design of this retreat and disappearing will be to judge the risen and changed saints; for 'now the time is come that judgment must begin,' and that will be 'at the house of God' (1 Peter. iv. 17)" (Edwards, Two Academical Exercises on the Subjects Bearing the Following Titles; Millennium and Last-Novelties, 1744).
I don't see how his interpretation discusses a 'rapture,' but he clearly said that the Church would be spared from the terrible time when God would pour out His wrath on those who rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior.
5. Ephrem (aka Ephraim or Ephraem), the Syrian (306 A.D. - 373 A.D.), was a deacon at the Church in Syria and later became the Bishop of the Church at Nisibis. He has been credited for writing a sermon entitled "On the Last Times, the Anti-Christ and the End of the World," which relied heavily on the Pseudo-Methodius. What is a bit confusing is that it documented the Islamic invasion that started in 622 A.D., yet he died in 373 A.D. The work was actually done by Pseudo-Ephraem, who lived between 374 and 627 A.D. and described the Islamic invasion as inflicting great havoc and Tribulation among the churches in Syria.
“We ought to understand thoroughly, therefore, my brothers, what is imminent or overhanging. . . Why therefore do we not reject every care of earthly actions and prepare ourselves for the meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that he may draw us from the confusion, which overwhelms all the world? Believe you me, dearest brothers, because the coming of the Lord is nigh, believe you me, because the end of the world is at hand, believe me, because it is the very last time. Or do you not believe unless you see with your eyes? . . . See to it that this sentence be not fulfilled among you of the prophet who declares: "Woe to those who desire to see the day of the Lord! "For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins."
Pseudo-Ephraem taught that Christians experiencing the Islamic Tribulation could escape it by death. There is no mention of a rapture in the sermon. He also taught that the resurrection of Born-Again Christians would be at the moment Jesus would return at the second coming when the devil would be destroyed.
6. Brother Dolcino (circa 1300 A.D.) held the belief that Christians would be taken to Heaven before the time of judgment on the Antichrist. One writer discussed Dolcino's teaching;
"Again, that within those three years Dolcino himself and his followers will preach the coming of the Antichrist. And that the Antichrist was coming into this world within the bounds of the said three and a half years; and after he had come, then he [Dolcino] and his followers would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the Earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. Then they would be killed by him or by his servants, and thus Antichrist would reign for a long time. But when the Antichrist is dead, Dolcino himself, who then would be the holy Pope, and his preserved followers, will descend on the Earth, and will preach the right faith of Christ to all, and will convert those who will be living then to the true faith of Jesus Christ."
Brother Dolcino believed that he would become the Pope after the Antichrist was dead. He was speculating what might happen but was not specifically addressing a 'rapture.' The majority of things Dolcino and his followers taught were quickly refuted by Scholars. They were not speaking about a ‘rapture’ but speculating what might happen with a view that appears to have some distant resemblance to modern speculations that are also not based on Scripture.
7. Morgan Edwards (1722-1795 A.D.) was the founder of Brown University. He taught that Jesus would return for His Church 3.5 years before He returned to establish His Kingdom for 1000 years. He specifically said:
"The distance between the first and second resurrection will be somewhat more than a thousand years. I say, somewhat more because the dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air' (1 Thessalonians 4:17); and this will be about three years and a half before the millennium, as we shall see hereafter: but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No: they will ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many 'mansions in the Father's house' (John 14:2)."
It should be noted Edwards believed that there would only be 3.5 years of a tribulation period. The point here is that God sees and protects those who are His (Revelation 3:12; 7:3-8; 13:16; 14:1-1; 22:4).
There are very few historical documents that mention or discuss the 'Rapture.' In virtually every case throughout history, the writers who are quoted as referring to it in some form or another were living in times of tribulation and believed they would not be on the Earth when the imminent judgment and wrath of God would be poured out on those who rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior. It wasn't until the 1800s that the Pre and Mid-Rapture teaching became a widespread Doctrine within the Church.
The context and subject of the referenced quotes do not specifically speak of a Pre or Mid-Tribulation Rapture. They were discussing a different matter than the position that has been inserted into the text. The writers used terms that are not the same as what is used today.
Just as with the study of the Bible, terms, and words used by an author for a specific audience must be considered in their grammatical and historical context. One must ask what a word or term meant to the original author and audience. When anyone filters what they read with modern understanding that is most often tainted by preconceived theological confirmation biases - that is called Eisegesis, which means "to lead in" or "reading into" the sentence or inserting personal suppositions and opinions that are not there in the original text. Reading a text in its original historical and grammatical context and taking from it what the author intended is called Exegesis.
The fact is that the early Church Fathers never taught a 'rapture.' There were some that taught all Born-Again Christians would escape the wrath of God through a gathering to the Lord at the end of days. Yet, others taught they would go through it.
THE ABSENCE OF THE "CHURCH"
The Greek word for "Church" is 'ekklesia.' There is a belief that attempts to support the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, which posits that the word 'ekklesia' does not appear in the Book of Revelation, chapters 4-18, which means it is has been raptured. However, it is essential to note that the word does not appear in many other books in the Bible until chapter 16 of Romans (see also Mark, Luke, John, 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, Jude). The word 'ekklesia' also does not appear in Revelation, chapters 19-21, which clearly require that the Church be present.These chapters cover the second coming of Jesus and the fall of satan and give a glimpse of such things as Judgment Day, the New Heavens, and New Earth..
This view is primarily an argument from silence. It would seem logical to ask if the word 'ekklesia' is the best way to specify the Church; why isn't it used regularly in other New Testament books? The Bible simply does not need to use one particular word to get its point across. The Apostle John never refers to ANY group in Heaven as the Church, which is comprised of every Born-Again Christian who followed the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 6:9; 12:17; 14:12; 20:4). They are the Church regardless if they lived before or during the Great Tribulation.
THE REMOVAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Contrary to some teachings, because God is eternally omnipresent, the Holy Spirit will be present as He always has been throughout history, during the seven-year Tribulation period to continue His saving work and entire ministry, which part of it is to restrain the growth of evil and the evil one (satan), including the antichrist (lawless one) (2 Thessalonians 2:7-9; Revelation 13:17-18 - also Daniel 7:24-25). A person cannot become Born-Again without the Holy Spirit indwelling them, and the Gospel will be preached during the Tribulation (Revelation 14:6-7 – see also Acts 1:4-5, 2:38-39).
THE FINAL JUDGMENT
Both Scripture and life make it clear that God is not continually judging the sins of humanity now, but He is waiting for the final judgment in the future that starts after the 7th Seal is broken and culminates when Jesus reveals Himself with His mighty angels (Revelation 14:7; 18:20).
The Bible also speaks of a single day at the end of history where all will be judged by Jesus (Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14,15,18,2:2; Matthew 10:15; 11:22,24; 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:2,4; 2 Peter 2:9, 3:7; 1 Corinthians 1:8, 3:13; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6,10; Jude 6; Romans 2:5,16; Hebrews 10:25; Revelation 6:17).
Faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah is the only way to escape that judgment, just as Lot, and Noah, along with his family, were saved from destruction (Luke 17:26-30).
God promised Abraham that if he found just ten righteous people, He would not pour out judgment and destroy Sodom. I am confident that there are at least ten righteous people in the world today. Jesus first came to Earth because people were already under condemnation (John 3:17), and whoever rejects Him remains under God's wrath (John 3:36; Romans 1:18; 2:1-3:20).
Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does NOT come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24 ESV – emphasis mine).
The New Testament is written from the viewpoint that each Born-Again Christian has already been judged in Christ and continuously stands justified before Him. God identifies them with Jesus and when He died, they died with Him (Romans 6:1–8).
The Born-Again Christian goes to Heaven because they have believed in and received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, having accepted the fact that their sins were already judged and atoned for by His sacrifice on the Cross.
THE RESURRECTION
"But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised." (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 ESV)
"An hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29 ESV).
The word "resurrection" (Gk: 'anastasis') denotes a raising up or rising. The word "dead" (Gk: 'nekros') is sometimes used for the death of the body but its most frequent sense is the actual spiritual condition of a person who is not Born-Again (see Matthew 8:22, 10:8, 11;5; Luke 7:22, 60, 15:24; John 5:25; Romans 6:11,13; Ephesians 2:1,5; 5:14; Philippians 3:11; Colossians 2:13; Revelation 3:1) [see Vines and Thayers].
"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 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 imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:50-55 ESV)
The Bible does not explicitly say that the resurrected body is a reanimated or recreated old body of flesh that somehow God will put together the cremated ashes or powdered dust of a decomposed earthly body and then return it to the Born-Again Christian at the Resurrection.
The Bible does say that the Born-Again Christian will retain their identity at the moment of death and will be given a "spiritual body" patterned after the old one that is "raised in power" and which God will supernaturally transform into a new "imperishable" "and immortal body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 ESV).
Nothing is impossible with the Triune God. As with the countless miraculous aspects of God, how a new eternal body is transformed and received cannot be explained because it is simply beyond human comprehension and understanding (see John 12:23-28; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-48).
The human body was created to live on the Earth alone (see Genesis 2:7). The supernatural Resurrection body will be suited to the trans-dimensional spiritual environment of Heaven (see Luke 24:33-43; John 20:19-29).
SOUL SLEEP
Some believe that when a Born-Again Christian dies, their soul begins to sleep and remains unconscious for years and even centuries until they are awakened when Jesus comes again and raises all the bodies out of the grave, reawakening the souls that are sleeping within those bodies. This is believed because the Bible says that it is the "dead in Christ" who "will rise first" and their "mortal body must put on immortality;" therefore, they must still be asleep in the grave (1 Thessalonians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 15:52 ESV).
"For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:16-22 ESV)
The word "asleep" (Gk: 'koimaó') in context refers to the sleep of death. One dominant interpretation is that the dead in Christ arising first could be referring to those who have just died because the Bible emphatically states, "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV).
In addition, the Bible also says that "we would rather be away (Gk: "ekdemeo" = to depart, emigrate) from the body (Gk: "soma" and at home (Gk: "endemeo" = to be on your country with family) with (Gk: "pros" = at the side of) the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV - see also Phil 1:23).
Jesus assured the thief on the Cross that "today" he would "be with" Him "in paradise" (Luke 23:43 ESV). Paradise was part of Hades (aka Hell, or Sheol, in the O.T. - see Psalm 16:10; 63:9), which was the realm of the dead who were conscious and aware. Hades and Paradise had a gulf between them (Luke 16:19-31).
Paradise was also known as "Abrahams Bosom." It was where the departed saints of old were placed until the resurrection of Jesus when He "descended into the lower regions," unlocked the gates with the "keys of hell and death, "just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale," and liberated the captive saints there who died waiting for the Messiah and, at the same time, subdued their demonic spirit captors (Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 1:21; 2:1).
Jesus said, "The Father raises up the dead, and gives life to them…." and "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear will live" and "those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:21, 25, 28-29 ESV). Jesus also exclaimed in the present tense that He would raise people up "on the last day" (see John 6:39).
Jesus "led a host of captives" as He "ascended on high" (Matthew 16:18; Revelation 1:18; Ephesians 4:8-9 ESV). The temporary paradise of Abrahams Bosom is now empty, and one day soon, the eternal paradise of Heaven will be filled with all those who received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Another verse that has caused wild speculation is when Jesus said to Mary Magdalene on Sunday morning;
"Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (John 20:17 ESV).
The word "cling" (Gk: "haptomai") means to attach oneself to; to touch. In the Greek context, the verse could be translated as 'stop clinging to me here on Earth as if you will never let go so that you can give My important message to the Disciples right away and I can complete other work before I finally ascend to the Father.' Ultimately, the meaning here is that Jesus was telling Mary there was no reason for her to fear she would lose Him (See also Matthew 28:9).
In light of the facts presented, it would appear that the only logical conclusion is the Born-Again Christian who died in the same moments of Jesus' return (An average of 120 people die per minute in the world) on the "day of redemption" will be physically transformed (Ephesians 4:30 ESV). Those who are still physically alive will instantly follow.
"For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:22-25 ESV)
Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that He would rise on the third day (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:63; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:7; 24:46; Mark 8:31; see also Hosea 6:2). Upon death, there can be no 'soul sleep' but the immediate "resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:27-29 ESV; also 1 Corinthians 15:42-49).
THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE
Throughout the first century, there are many stories of people who were raised from the dead by Jesus and the Apostles (Luke 7:11-16; 8:41-56; Matt 9:18-26; Mark 5:22-43; John 11:1-54; Acts 9:37-40; 20:9-12). At the moment Jesus died:
"The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." (Matthew 27:52-53 ESV)
The word "saints" (Gk: hágios) means holy, different from the world, and set apart for God. The verse does not explicitly say if it was their physical or spiritual bodies that were raised. Nor does it tell us if they had been in the grave a few minutes, days, or a millennium. What the verses tell us is that the resurrection of Jesus brings resurrection to others.
Jesus is "the God of the Living" and not "the God of the dead who will centuries later come back to life" (Mark 12:27 ESV). Heaven is a paradise for all Born-Again Christians (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Everyone, including those who just died in the Great Tribulation, will accompany Jesus when He returns from Heaven (see Hebrews 12:23; 1 Thessalonians 4;13-14; Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9-17).
Jesus is the "resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26 ESV). In context, the word "believes" (Gk: pisteuó) means to have been persuaded to entrust your life to Jesus with unwavering confidence as long as you live.
The Born-Again Christian doesn't need to wait for eternal life to happen somewhere in the distant future. Eternal life begins at the moment of conversion when a person repents of their sin and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior; then the Kingdom of Heaven is within them (Luke 17:21; John 5:24, 17:2, 1 John 5:11,12,20).
CONCLUSION - Are You Ready?
Being ready to meet the Lord means preparing for whatever contingency arises in your life and keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus while eagerly awaiting His coming. The soon return of Jesus is a powerful motivator to personal holiness and diligence, which each generation finds in the possibility of His return at any moment.
The return of the Lord will happen instantly "with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom, accompanied by the Angels and the friends of the Bridegroom, will lead His bride to the eternal home He prepared for them with everlasting joy and gladness.
We are to "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Matthew 24:42, 25:13 ESV). This does not mean contemplating your navel, doing acts of contrition, traveling on a spiritual pilgrimage, or standing on a mountaintop gazing at the heavens (Acts 1:9-11). It means "to stay awake and be alert" (Matthew 26:38-41).
Jesus never explicitly told us when the day of His return would be. It does not matter if you are a Pre-Tribber, Mid-Tribber, or Post-Tribber. I am a Pan-Tribber – I will wait to see how it all pans out! I genuinely hope that there is a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. However, the overwhelming evidence, based upon countless writings throughout 1,800 years of history, is that the Church believed it would be taken AFTER the Great Tribulation and before the Millennial reign of Jesus begins.
Every generation of the Church believed they were going through great tribulation. It seems to be a bit spiritually pretentious to think that somehow a future generation will be spared the effects of tribulation when other previous generations did not.
All seven churches in the province of Asia went through horrendous persecution, the likes of what we have yet to see. An interesting side note is that the only church that survived total annihilation and made it to the 20th Century (1922) was the Church at Thyatira, which tolerated Jezebel, practiced sexual immorality, and ate food sacrificed to demonic idols.
Whether or not the ‘Rapture’ is Pre, Mid, or Post, the faithfulness of God transcends all life experiences. Jesus IS our great escape and blessed hope. He will always be with us through everything, so there is nothing to fear.
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 22-24 ESV)
The only sure way to be ready when the day of His appearing comes is to be prepared every day (Luke 12:10; 21:34-36; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3). Today is the day to repent of your sins and RECEIVE Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then, PLAN your life as if He is not coming back for 100 years, but LIVE your life as if He is coming back today – because He just might - for YOU! Maranatha!
