Title: What to Do if You Miss the Rapture
Bible Book: John 1 : 1-4
Author: John Bisagno
Subject: Rapture; Tribulation Period; Death; Judgement; Courage; Salvation
Objective:
Introduction
Luke 1:31 God made this world by and through the power of His Son, Jesus Christ. The world has turned against him. But one day for a thousand years Christ is going to come back and rein on this earth in an era of peace. When he does he'll showcase to all the universe what life could have been like if Jesus Christ had been allowed to be Lord in every body's heart. Before that happens the world is judged in a might seven-year period called "The Tribulation". Christians don't go through the tribulation. We are removed before that happens.
The Holy Spirit Indwells Believers 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
Understand that the Holy Spirit indwells believers. He is the only force in society that keeps evil in check, restrained, held back. When the believers are removed then there is no restraining force left in society against evil. There will be a tremendous vacuum on this earth when Christians are removed. Government will be in disarray. There will be tragedy and tribulation everywhere. Into that resulted vacuum the anti-Christ is going to set for those seven years. He's going to sit down on the throne promised to Jesus and demand that he is go and demand the world to worship him.
Christ Is Coming To Remove His Bride - 2 Thessalonians 2:3-9. The next thing that happens is Christ comes and removes Bride, His Church, His saved people. Then the world is going to go into tremendous confusion. For seven years tribulation and death and judgment will be poured out on Babylon and mystery Babylon. That is the false religious system and the false political system. In the confusion somebody is going to step forward and say that I've got the answer. This is the anti-Christ. People are going to worship and accept him. At the end of this seven year period Jesus Christ is going to come from heaven and he is going to slay the armies of the anti-Christ as they are conversion on Jerusalem. The time will come that who rules Jerusalem rules the world. Christ is going to come back and rescue Israel from annihilation. This is called the battle of Armageddon.
If you don't know Christ, if you are still left and not caught up in the rapture, you'll go through seven years of hell and tribulation under the control of the anti-Christ.
Then at the end of the anti-Christ control then Christ will come and destroy him and his armies and He'll reign on this earth for a thousand years. That is the first phase of eternity.
Revelation 13:15-18. In the Roman Empire, Caesar would say I demand that you honor me and you were required to state that that Caesar is lord. Christians would not do that and those who rejected and honored Caesar as lord did so at the cost of their lives.
Revelation 19:11 -16; 20:4. Jesus Christ created this world for himself to be honored but sin entered and He was dishonored. He allowed life to go on and sin continued but one day he's going to say that is enough. This world will get what it has always really wanted, all the sin at once. People will be pleading to die, but death will not be possible. They will continue on day and night. In that confusion the anti-Christ will step forward to bring order out of chaos and confusion. Then Jesus will come from heaven with all of the holy angels and all the saints and He will destroy this wicked world system and follow that by setting up a beautiful kingdom.
What happens inside the seven-year period call the Tribulation? How can one man control the world? He does so because he controls the power to buy and sell. You control money, you control the world, no medicine, no money for rent, no food to buy. When your kids are dying, out of desperation, you will do anything. If you have the mark of the beast you can buy and sell. Many stores in America already have the scanning method so that you don't even need money to purchase things.
A few people may be saved during that Tribulation time. The Holy Spirit will be moving in saving power but not in restraining power against evil. But, if you do receive Christ, you do reject the mark of the beast, you will be beheaded. You'll be saved, but by a martyrs death. It will cost you your life. What to do if you miss the rapture?
I. Don't Look for any Christians During the Tribulation
Nobody born again will be there. They have all been removed. There will be religion; politics, school, government and life will go on. It will seem all right for a while. Then with no restraining force people will realize that when you rape, murder and plunder there will be no 911. Nobody cares. There will be sexual assault, and murder, plunder, burning, disease and ravage like you can't imagine. It will be so terrible that people will try to die but they want be able to find those ways.
II. Don't Try to Explain Away the Situation
All of a sudden people will be disappearing. Don't add insult to injury. Don't insult God by trying to explain away what he said clearly in black and white was going to happen. If you miss the rapture you will only enhance the pain and lose you are already going to experience because you are here without Christ.
III. Whatever You Do, Don't Take the Mark of the Beast
If you do take the mark of the beast his soldiers, police will hunt you down and kill you. If you take this mark you die and go to hell forever. There is no out. You can't win. If you say that you have received Christ it will cost you your life. If you say no and receive the mark but you will live in hell forever. It is better to suffer a few years on earth than an eternity in hell.
IV. Don't Expect to Escape a Martyr's Death
There will be no exceptions.
V. Don't Expect any Help from God
God doesn't give a martyr’s grace until we face a martyr's death. If you have to suffer for Christ in this life as a believer now in this time, the Lord helps you. The Spirit sustains you. The Holy Ghost strengthens you. Christians pray for you. The body of Christ supports you. You can do it. But there will be no help from the Holy Spirit or from God if you miss the rapture. You will be here alone. It will take incredible courage to be saved during the Tribulation.
Listen, if you don't have the guts to walk down this aisle before a thousand friendly people that love you, pray for you and support you, you can be sure you will not have the courage to do so during the Tribulation, when the Church is gone and there is no one there to support you. If you don't have the guts to walk into your high school tomorrow morning and stand up on your back feet and say that I am a Christian, do you really think you will have enough courage to do that after the Holy Spirit and all believers have been removed from this earth? If you don't have the guts to be the only one in the office that says that I don't fool around with sin because I live for Jesus and I am faithful to my wife/husband, do you think you will take a stand during the Tribulation?
Do you really expect to be a martyr without any help from anybody if you miss the rapture – if you fail to get saved before Jesus comes back? Oh no! You'll take that mark so fast it'll make your head swim. If you do have that courage during that time, it will cost you your life. Hey, that’s a lose-lose situation.
Conclusion
Don't bet your soul that you will have the courage or chance to be saved during the Tribulation. Sure, if all of your Christian friends are gone in the morning, and if there is panic in the streets, in an attempt to bring peace out of chaos, you may accept Christ - but it will cost you your life! Don't bet your soul that you will even have that chance or that you will have the courage to do so. Many people, sound theologians, doctrinally conservative Christian leaders do not believe we will even have a chance to be saved during the Tribulation. You can settle all these questions now! If you are going to be saved, you must do it now – before the Lord returns.
