Fear Not Perhaps you’ve heard of the “Left Behind” series. It is a story that follows the events of fictitious characters who have “missed the rapture” and are therefore “Left Behind” to face the horrific events of global war, famine, and the rise of a flattering, and charismatic man who is actually the satanically influenced “Antichrist”. According to the Bible this rapid sequence of events will come to pass during a short time which Jesus called the “Great Tribulation” immediately preceding His return. The problem with the “Left Behind” scenario is not the intensity describing these dark days, but rather where in this timeline it places the return of Jesus Christ. The “Left Behind” books reflect a modern view of the sequence of events spelled out centuries ago in the Bible. You see, modern Christians have a problem seeing themselves ever facing troublous times. This has made it popular for pastors to buy into the “Left Behind” theory. They do this by teaching that Jesus returns in the clouds “before” the tribulation, the last trumpet actually sounds “before” the tribulation, and His people are gathered to Him “before” the tribulation. According to this new version, only those who are “Left Behind” will face this time of trouble. Is the return of Jesus “before” the tribulation? Let’s look at it in Jesus’ own words. Matthew 24:29-31 29Immediately “after” the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And “then” shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31And he shall send his angels with a “great sound of a trumpet”, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. You can see that in Jesus’ version - His return - the sounding of the trumpet - and the gathering of His people all take place “immediately after” the tribulation, not seven years before. Some say that Jesus actually comes “secretly” as a “Thief in the night” seven years before all of this. To believe this, would mean the “coming” that we just read about “after the tribulation” would then be the second “second coming” of Christ. So, to dispel all doubt let’s read the verse where He comes as a “thief in the night” to see whether there is still seven years more before He comes the second second time. II Peter 3:10 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. When we read it as it actually appears in the Bible, it doesn’t sound so “secret” does it? It would be hard to go to work unaware of these events the day after the earth burned up. So, how do you deal with the fear of going through the catastrophic events of the endtime? Simple TELL THE HONEST TRUTH! Tell that God has always protected His people in times of trouble. When the ten plagues came against Egypt, God’s people were kept safe. When fire fell from heaven consuming the wicked-ness of Sodom, God didn’t take Lott and his family into heaven for seven years. He sent angels to lead them to a place of safety. Neither did God take Noah into heaven to escape the flood, but rather gave him specific instruct-tions for the safekeeping of his family. With endtime events looming on the horizon, wouldn’t it make sense to be among people who are prepared for what is coming, rather than those who pretend it isn’t coming at all? What does the Bible really say to God’s people during times of tribulation? Speaking of God’s witnesses in the endtime Revelation 11:5, 6 5And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. Speaking of God’s protection in time of trouble Psalm 91:5-8 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Speaking of the work of God’s people in the tribulation Daniel 11:32, 33 “32“The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” “33And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.” Remember... Fear Not!
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