"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:36. I think those words of Jesus Christ are talking about a rapture, a catching away of people to heaven, just before the tribulation comes on this world. If we escape it, and we are standing before the Son of man in heaven, it seems to me it's talking about a rapture, although a lot of modern day Christians don't believe in this any more. It's being widely taught now that some woman in England in the late 1800s dreamed up the idea of the rapture and that it's not referred to in the Bible and was never taught throughout the history of Christianity. Wrong.

The idea of the rapture is found in the great old Christian book "Pilgrim's Progress" well before that time, and author John Bunyan got the teaching from the scriptures. Zephaniah 2:3 for example says, "Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger." Jesus Christ predicted a time at the end of the world where it will again be as the days of Sodom and Gomorrha. "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Luke 17:28-30. God got angry. He was angry with Sodom for the pride, the homosexuality, for their lack of concern for the poor, for their violence and aggressiveness. And he burned it down. I was there. I saw it. We drove by in the tour bus and the bus driver pointed to a barren desert and said, "There's where Sodom and Gomorrha were. They aren't there any more because God burned them down."

And I think God is getting angry at this old world today. For continually cutting back help to the poor and needy while spending more and more for military. For invading and occupying a sovereign nation under false pretenses and then refusing to get out. I think most of this modern world doesn't even believe in God any more. They think God is dead. I don't think we've seen God's judgment yet. We've seen Satan and his servants oppressing the poor in the United States and around the world. We've seen a rich, arrogant nation, with a space program trying to mount up to the heavens like the tower of Babel, oppressing the poor people of Iraq, torturing prisoners, trying to steal their oil industry. And the Mitt Romneys and his sons, the George Bushes, and the Richard Cheneys of the world don't want to fight in them themselves but are happy to send the working class people who join the army because they need a job to fight for them. I understand that Richard Cheney's stock options grew from $200,000+ in value to $8,000,000+ in value in recent years.

But the Bible said God is going to get angry again and we will see His wrath. The Bible also says God has not "appointed us to wrath," referring to Christians. 1 Thessalonians 5:9. But I don't think it's talking about all the Christians there. The Bible says He is coming for a people who are looking for Him to come. I think all those Christians who no longer believe in a rapture will be left behind. "According to your faith, be it unto you," Jesus Christ said. If you believe you won't go to heaven in the rapture you won't go to heaven in the rapture. Maybe you'll never go at all.

A lot of modern day Christians won't go because they aren't holy. The Bible said, "Be ye holy for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16. People talk about Saint Patrick and Saint Teresa, but we're all supposed to be saints. A lot of modern day Christians are drinking and swearing and going to movies and committing adultery and divorcing and remarrying just like the world. You go to church and see cigarette butts outside the door because people put out their cigarettes before they walked into church. How can God tell any difference between the church and the world? Jesus is going to tell many church members some day, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

And I think God is coming for a Pentecostal, tongue talking church. Jesus Christ told the story of the wise and foolish virgins. These were all holy living people who believed in the rapture, waiting for Jesus to come back. But when He came back only the wise virgins who had taken the oil in their lamps went, and oil represents the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ said "Receive ye the Holy Spirit," and we have no right to ignore any of His commandments. We need to wait on the Lord and seek Him until we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues.

So could the rapture of the bride of Christ be soon? I sense it could be very soon. It's time for us to turn from our wicked ways and repent and seek the Lord. Seek the LORD while He may be found. Today is the day of salvation. Say this prayer right now, "Lord Jesus, I call on Your name now for salvation. Save me. Heal me. Deliver me from the power of Satan. Baptize and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I turn from my wicked ways now and forever. Amen."

About the Author

Roger Bovee is editor and publisher of Internet Church - Online Church, which publishes sermons and allows readers to submit prayer requests and to pray for divine healing. http://internet-church-online-church.blogspot.com