And Endure Till Jesus Comes And Catches Us Up...
The hardest part of that is enduring faithfully through the long testing of pre-tribulation upheaval. The devil can and will develop ungodly conditions within the souls of men, and the majority of populations. Even as history records in past, national, environments; Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and dozens of other vile dictatorships. Situations where the majority of misguided citizens install and support every diabolical wish of their devilish master even before he ascended to the pinnacle of political power. But the Antichrist will gain global power over nations, their politics, finances, industry, institutions, and even religions.
Christians will be here during the terrible months or years leading up to the tribulation period reign of the Antichrist. The rapture itself will remove the Antichrist's Christian opposition and open the way for his unopposed ascendancy to world domination. When the Christians, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, are raptured into heaven, He goes with them and is "taken out of the way" leaving a void of spiritual presence which had not "let" Antichrist succeed previously.
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way." 2 Thess.2;7
So as long as Christians are present, and enduring, resisting the devil, influencing others, and praying ... in the Spirit, the Antichrist is outgunned. After the rapture of believers, he will be quickly accepted as the savior of the world. Until then we must grow in grace and glory, yes glory, in this pre-tribulation turbulence that builds endurance in us to do the work of God amid massive ungodliness.
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.' Rom.5:3. The word
"patience" here is the Greek hupomone and means endurance. That is, the kind of patience that derives from enduring hardship. We are approaching the biblical last days of ultimate tribulation. And though we Christians, like Noah, will be lifted out, above the flood of Antichrist's seven-year reign of terror, we will be required to endure the preliminary dissimulation leading up to the rapture and Satan's seven-year rule over the world. The pre-tribulation months or years will not equal the horror of the seven years under his absolute dictatorship. But they will be bad enough, for all of us, even as we now see developing like a bank of heavy black clouds full of lightning and thunder, preceded by high winds, and hail already upon us.
So what can we do, as Christians, during these times of pre-tribulation evil as we await the soon return of Christ to catch us up above the flood of evil destruction?
"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt..24:37.
"For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." Isa.54:9.
The flood of Noah's day was not for the few righteous of that day but for the almost unanimous wicked. Even so, the seven-year tribulation period is not for Christians but primarily for the Jews who will turn to their Messiah, Jesus, because of the tribulation, and be saved.
"And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace... Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." Jer.30:4-7 The tribulation is Jacob's trouble .... to bring them to Christ, not Christian's trouble. The flood was not for Noah. The ark was for Noah.
"And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Zech.12:10
When, since the Jews had Jesus crucified, has "the house of David ever looked upon him and mourned over Him as their own?" Never! This verse will be fulfilled in the last half of the tribulation when Antichrist breaks his compact with religions.
So, until the rapture, what must we do during these last days? Be Faithful and ENDURE. God will accomplish His purpose. Let us accomplish ours.
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