What are your expectations for the new year?

Do you have plans that you are looking forward to? Or are you nervous about all the things that you see in the news, and things that experts have said might be coming this year? Maybe some of both?

One of the things I probably spend too much time doing is reading news, in order to keep up to date on events related to the signs of the end times.

Personally, I don't have high hopes for this year, at least when it comes to things pertaining to the bigger picture regarding the state of this world. And I'm not the only one. Many other Bible prophecy experts are saying that right now we are seeing everything being set up for the Tribulation, as recorded in the Biblical book of Revelation.

I admit that at times, I start to worry how difficult life might become before the Rapture happens—when all true Christians will be taken to heaven to escape the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10).

However, I feel less anxious when I remember that there are several pieces of Biblical evidence that the world will be still going along relatively normally right up to the Rapture.

And actually, it's when things seem 'normal' that we should especially be ready for the Rapture to happen. So that's very exciting.

One purpose of Bible prophecy is for God's people to be encouraged. It's a way that God gives us hope and confidence in God's plan for the future, when we see things happening just like God told us they would ahead of time (John 16:33).

Ultimately, we know that everything that's happening in the world is leading to the New Heavens and New Earth, where there will be no more evil, sin, crying, pain, or death (Revelation 21:1-8).

So if we see things in the world today being set up for the Tribulation, then we know the Rapture is even closer than that. The Rapture is something that all Christians should be looking forward to, because it is called our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). Christians are meant to comfort and encourage each other by reminding each other about Jesus's soon return for us (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

In this post, I want to reassure you that even though Christians will be able to see the end times approaching, and it might seem that things are getting worse and worse, we can trust that the world will not fall apart before Jesus comes to take us to heaven with him (John 14:1-3).

I know I have talked about this before, but here, I want to go into more detail and analyze all the different pieces of evidence to support my claim. Therefore, it is a slightly longer blog post. (I'm just giving a heads-up that you might want to find a good time to settle in to read it.)

However, I hope this in-depth discussion will help reassure anyone who is feeling nervous about what we see happening in the world today, or who might be worried about what some experts have predicted might occur in 2023.

Hopefully, by the end of this post, you might even become a little excited about how close we could be to Jesus's return for the Church at the Rapture, which could happen anytime.

The Rapture Will Happen During The Days of Noah and Lot

The largest clue regarding the approaching end times is how Jesus said that the next time he returns, the world will be like it was when Noah and Lot were alive:

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (Luke 17:26-30)

A similar passage is found in Matthew:

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37-39)

If you want to read more, you can find the stories of Noah in Genesis chapter 7 and Lot in Genesis chapter 19.

Now, there are two different features of these stories that give clues regarding what the world will be like as the end times approach:

1. Both Noah's and Lot's societies were becoming increasingly immoral and sinful.
2. Both Noah's and Lot's societies were going on just like 'normal' until Noah and his family entered the ark and rain started to fall, or until Lot and his family were rushed out of Sodom by the angels.

Both of these points provide evidence that the Rapture will happen when our world is characterized by these two traits: becoming increasingly sinful, yet going along 'normally'.

Let's begin with the first point:

1. Increasing Sinfulness in Society

Before the worldwide flood, we are told that: "the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

Regarding the moral state of Sodom and Gomorrah, we're told: "Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord" (Genesis 13:13). We can see at least some of Sodom's sins based on what the men of the city were trying to do to the undercover angels who came to verify the condition of these cities (Genesis 19:4-11).

Likewise, Paul warned that the last days will be difficult, because people's behavior will become increasingly immoral:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

If you read the news, I doubt you will be able to go a single day without seeing a story related to these traits.

Some end-times commentators will point to the rise of particular sexual sins in our Western societies.

There is a quote attributed to Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham, who said, "If God doesn't punish America, he'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." Today, we could expand that to include not just America, but many other countries around the world.

And actually, increasing sexual immorality in itself is a form of God's judgment.

Paul explains that God lets people fall into sexual immorality as a punishment for rejecting what they know about God, and for worshipping nature and created things rather than worshiping God who created all things (Romans 1:18-27).

But society goes even further downhill from there:

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. (Romans 1:28-32, NLT).

The last sentences in the above quote remind me of how Isaiah warned that sinful people will eventually say what is evil is actually good, and what is good is actually evil (Isaiah 5:20).

During these times before the Rapture, Christians will feel like Lot did when he lived in Sodom and was surrounded by sin, and was greatly troubled by it (2 Peter 2:7-8).

We might even be persecuted for holding on to our own values:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

I believe we are seeing all these things increasing, even in societies that have benefitted from a strong Biblical influence in the past.

Therefore, it seems that the world is ready for God's judgment, and becoming increasingly ready for it each passing day. Yet strangely, even as the world continues to become worse and worse, it will seem to most people that life is going on normally.

2. Society Will Continue Normally Until God's Judgment Comes Suddenly

Just as in the days of Noah and Lot, it will seem to most people that everything is continuing along normally. It will seem so normal, in fact, that Christians who warn about God's coming judgment will be scoffed and laughed at:

Peter warned that in the last days, scoffers will say,

Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. (2 Peter 3:4)

However, the scoffers only say this because they ignore the historical fact of the worldwide flood that killed everyone except for Noah and his family (2 Peter 3:5-6). Similarly, the scoffers ignore the warnings about God's future judgment of the world (2 Peter 3:7).

So Peter's prophecy confirms what we've seen so far. It will be like in the days of Noah, before the flood, when most people expected the world to just keep going on like it always has, until the judgment suddenly came.

Some scoffers like to remind Christians who are looking for signs of the end times that "concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32).

And this is certainly true. However, in the verses that come right after this verse, Christians are encouraged to be awake and watchful for their Lord's return (Mark 13:33-37). So there's nothing wrong with watching.

The Bible even promises those who are looking forward to Christ's return a special heavenly reward in the form of a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8). So don't lose your hope, even if others around you are skeptical about Jesus's soon return.

Even though Jesus says that no one but God the Father knows the exact day or hour that he will be coming back, Paul says that Christians who are watching will have some awareness of the approximate time of Christ's return. Therefore, we won't be surprised like those who weren't watching:

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6).

The above passage is very interesting, for a number of reasons:

1. It confirms that the Tribulation will come upon the world suddenly, like a thief unexpectedly breaking into a house.
2. It also confirms that people will be saying "peace and security" before the Tribulation suddenly begins, which suggests that the world will be mostly going along like 'normal'. Or it might even seem that things are getting better.
3. But, despite things being 'normal', somehow, there will still be enough signs so that Christians who are watching should be able to see that Christ is coming back for us soon.

How can all of these details be true at the same time? Let's look at Jesus's analogy of the end times being like when a pregnant woman goes into labor.

The End Times Will Begin Like 'Birth Pains'

Given all the discussion above, it is interesting that even during the Covid pandemic, people were still carrying on with 'normal' activities: buying, selling, marrying, planting, building.

This fact reassured me that we hadn't yet entered the Tribulation, even though in some ways, some aspects of some of the world's governments' responses to the pandemic foreshadowed the coming Tribulation.

What is even more interesting is that now, as most parts of the world seem to be increasingly returning back to 'normal' life, even average Christians are picking up on the fact that the world is not headed in a good direction.

According to a recent survey done in April of 2022, almost half (47%) of Christians in the USA believe that humanity is now living in the end times. That number increases to almost two thirds (63%) among evangelical Christians in the USA.1

Now, in some sense, these Christians are right, because the 'end times' or the 'last days' can be considered to have begun during Jesus' ministry (Hebrews 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20) and at Pentecost (Acts 2:17).

However, if by the 'end times' these Christians mean the last seven years of history before Jesus will return to earth (a.k.a., the Tribulation), then no, the end times have not yet begun, because the Rapture has not yet happened, and things are generally 'normal'.

What these Christians are likely picking up on are the signs of the approaching end times that Jesus said to watch for, which he said will begin like birth pains:

For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ," and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24:5-8)

Luke's version of this passage also includes mention of pestilences/diseases (Luke 21:11). Enough said.

Many end-times watchers like to highlight data that shows that all of these things are increasing around the world. We are now seeing all the signs that we would expect to see before the Tribulation begins, and news stories related to these things are coming at a faster and faster rate.

I've been watching both mainstream news and alternative news for over a decade, and I can say that although I saw some signs back then, there were still a few things that still had not yet fallen into place.

Now, though, everything is coming together far faster and more clearly than I've ever seen before. Many other end-times watchers are also saying the same thing.

Of course, we still don't know how much more we will see before the Rapture. But it's very exciting to finally be seeing things clearly pointing to end-times prophecies all lining up just like the Bible predicts.

Yet there is debate over whether these verses in Matthew 24:5-8 and Luke 21:8-11 describe the state of the world before the Tribulation begins, or whether Jesus was describing the beginning of the Tribulation and the first few divine judgments in Revelation 6.

There are certainly some clear parallels between these verses and the start of the Tribulation, including:

• the revealing of the Antichrist as the ultimate false Christ (Revelation 6:1-2).
• the worldwide wars in the second Seal judgment (Revelation 6:3-4).
• the terrible famine in the third Seal judgment (Revelation 6:5-6).
• the pestilence that is part of the fourth Seal judgment (Revelation 6:7-8).

But I think these passages in Matthew and Luke could be dual-references. Before the Tribulation, we should expect to see all these signs increasing in frequency and intensity. But the signs will really become even more intense once the Rapture happens and the Tribulation begins.

Jesus also warned that the Tribulation will come upon the world like a "snare" or "trap" (Luke 21:34-35). This means the onset of the Tribulation will be sudden, without warning, like when someone accidentally steps onto a bear trap. Just like the flood began suddenly in Noah's time, and the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah happened suddenly in Lot's time.

So perhaps the signs of the end times could be compared to how there are some birth pains before a woman's water breaks, but once it does suddenly break, there is no way to stop the labor process, and the pain becomes increasingly intense.

From the above verses, we can say two things:

1. There is no hint that we should expect the signs of the end times to slow down or for them to be put on hold for decades, just like how a woman's birth pains don't slow down or stop once the true labor process begins.
2. But the signs of the end times will NOT gradually increase to the point where the world enters the Tribulation without knowing it. The first four judgments in the book of Revelation occur in a particular sequence, with definite beginning points, which is why they can be symbolized by men on horses riding out one after the other (Revelation 6:1-8).

However, like Paul said, Christians who are paying attention will be able to see the end-times snare or trap being pried open little by little, until it is set and ready to be sprung at the right moment.

I believe that the event which will spring the trap is the Rapture. In the chaos and confusion that the Rapture will cause, all the rest of the prophetic pieces needed for the Tribulation will fall into place.

Where We Are Today

Interestingly, today, Christians aren't the only ones who are seeing the world being set up for the Tribulation.

On December 19, 2022, Israel's intelligence ministry put out a report that said:

The world is at a transition point analogous to being on the verge of a cliff, after which a series of crises striking simultaneously will reorder the planet’s geopolitics, the place of technology, the economic order and a variety of other disciplines from health to energy.2

To me, that sounds a lot like what will happen during the Tribulation. And I certainly don't think that life will be 'normal' when this occurs.

Personally, I think it seems that the world is now being set up for the first few Seal judgments.

In particular, the second Seal judgment of the outbreak of worldwide wars (Revelation 6:3-4),3 and the third Seal judgment of worldwide hyperinflation,4 and/or famine (Revelation 6:5-6),5 seem like they could be possibly looming just over the horizon.

Progress is also rapidly being made around the world on digital currencies,6 and digital identification systems.7 These seem to be at least some of the technologies required to enable total government control over who will be able to buy or sell via the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-18).

The Psalm 83 war, the Gog-Magog war (Ezekiel 38), and the destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17) also seem like they could be triggered anytime, based on the precarious state of the Middle East.

These wars would be the perfect set-up for the Antichrist to confirm or strengthen a peace treaty between Israel and 'many' which will last for seven years (Daniel 9:27) and will be the official starting-point of the seven year Tribulation. This treaty could perhaps be something like an expanded and strengthened version of the Abraham Accords that have come about in the last few years.

Just recently, Danny Danon, who was Israel's former ambassador to the UN, said that,

It's just a matter of time before courageous leaders step out of the shadows and full peace is achieved between all the children of Abraham.8

A famous quote that ominously foreshadows the worldwide acceptance of the Antichrist when he will come on the scene was made by the former Belgian Prime Minister Paul-Henry Spaak, who also chaired the first session of the UN General Assembly. He supposedly said:

We do not want another committee, we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him.

This quote is likely even more true today, given the heightened problems the world is facing in 2023, and the lack of influential leaders who know how to solve anything.

Yet we know that the Antichrist is not revealed to the world until after the Church's 'departure' (Greek: apostasia) according to 2 Thessalonians 2:3. I believe this 'departure' is a reference to the Rapture as I explain in my post here.

These are just a few of the most notable signs of the end-times that I see that suggest Jesus is returning soon. I can't help but agree with another end-times commentator who sees 12 signs that the world is rapidly running out of 'normal'.9

I would say that as we enter 2023, I find myself wondering about not how much longer it will be until the world enters the Tribulation, but how much longer can it be?

However, Christians shouldn't be afraid. Even though we see these things forming up now that will be fulfilled during the Tribulation, God has the ability to restrain things for a little longer, if necessary. And we know God is longsuffering and merciful, and God wants all people to repent rather than face God's judgment (2 Peter 3:9).

Yet as Christians who can see these things coming, it's our job to tell others and warn others about God's coming judgment of this world (Ezekiel 33:1-6). We should be appealing to people we know to turn to Jesus now, before the Rapture, so that they don't have to endure what will be the worst time in human history.

Yet as we watch for the signs and warn others, we can also be encouraged that we know for sure that Jesus will return to take all true Christians to heaven in the Rapture when the world is still 'normal', as I'll explain in the next section.

The World Will Not Be 'Normal' At Jesus' Second Coming

The fact that Jesus said the world will be going on like in the days of Noah and Lot the next time when he returns is clear evidence for the Rapture happening before the Tribulation.

It is also evidence that the Rapture is not the same event as Jesus's second coming.

This is because at the end of the Tribulation, when Jesus finally returns to the planet with the armies of heaven to set up his millennial kingdom, the world certainly be anything but 'normal', after having been through all twenty-one of the judgments that are described in the book of Revelation chapters 6 to 19.

The world will also not be 'normal' during even the beginning of the Tribulation, because of how severe the first four Seal judgments will be, which lead to a quarter of the world's people being killed (Revelation 6:8).

(If you're interested, you can read a summary of these judgments in my post here).

This argument for the pre-tribulation Rapture is confirmed by how Jesus said that the Tribulation will be the most awful time in the history of humanity:

This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again. If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter. (Matthew 24:21-22, CEV)

When people realize they have entered the Tribulation, some people will be so terrified that their hearts will fail (Luke 21:26, NKJV).

So I can't believe that life will be going on as 'normal' at Jesus's second coming in Revelation 19:11-16. I can't imagine that people will then be buying, selling, planting, and marrying, with everything in the world going on like business as usual.

In fact, if we examine Revelation chapter 18, it says that at the judgment of the mysterious end-times entity called "Babylon," the merchants of the world will weep because there is no one who can buy their goods (Revelation 18:11-13). Then there also won't be anyone playing music, or building, or milling grain, or getting married (Revelation 18:21-24). This is just before Jesus returns at the Second Coming in Revelation 19.

So therefore, I'm convinced that when Jesus said the world will be like the days of Noah and Lot the next time he appears, he must have been referring to the state of the world when the Rapture occurs, which will be before the Tribulation begins.

Further Evidence That The Rapture Will Be The Transition Point Away from 'Normal'

I have heard many end-times commentators argue over the meaning of the word 'taken' in Matthew 24:40-42 and Luke 17:34-35:

Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:40-42)

Some commentators say it is a reference to the Rapture, but others argue it is talking about people being suddenly 'taken' away (i.e., killed) in divine judgment.10

However, the word translated as "taken" in the above verses is the Greek verb paralambano.

In most contexts in the Bible, this verb means "to take to one's side" or "to receive to one's self". In the passive tense used here in Matthew and Luke, it can mean "to be carried off".11

But this verb doesn't imply destruction or death. For example, paralambano is the verb used when the angel tells Joseph to go ahead and "take" Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20).

Interestingly, we also see paralambano used when Jesus promises his disciples that:

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:2-3)

This verse in John is clearly referring to the Rapture, because it fits perfectly with Paul's more detailed descriptions in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.

Also, even in John 14:2-3 itself, it's clear that John can't be referring to Jesus's second coming at the end of the Tribulation.

At that point, Jesus comes back to this world with the armies of heaven to fight the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-16), whereas at the Rapture, people go to be where Jesus is, and where he has been preparing places for us in the Father's house (i.e., heaven). They are two completely different events.

So I would see these verses in Matthew and John as confirming what was said during the prior analysis of the days of Noah and the days of Lot:

Jesus will return suddenly at the Rapture to take (i.e., paralambano—to take to his side, receive to himself, and carry off) all Christians with him to heaven, just like he promised in verses like John 14:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54. Everyone else who had never believed in Jesus up to that point will be left behind.

The Rapture will also be the sudden transition point from when things were 'normal' to when the world will face God's judgment during the Tribulation.

Yet even more evidence that the world will be 'normal' until the Rapture comes from what the Bible suggests the state of the Church will be like in the last days.

The Last Church Era Is Laodicean

There is an interesting theory that some end-times prophecy watchers refer to, which is that the letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 were not written in a random order.

Instead, while these were seven real churches, there is a theory that these churches and their characteristics also foreshadow the spiritual condition of the historical Church in its various stages and forms, beginning from the early church, and continuing until the Rapture.12

In this theory,

1. Ephesus is the early church of the first century, which started off well, but gradually lost its spiritual passion.13
2. Smyrna is the persecuted church of the second and third centuries, when the Roman Empire martyred and tortured many Christians for refusing to worship the Emperor.14
3. Pergamum is the church after Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome in 313 AD. Pergamum was generally faithful to Christ and stood up for the truth against various heresies about Jesus. Later, though, it began to compromise with the world and became partly corrupted, bringing in some un-biblical doctrines and a hierarchical structure of authority.15
4. Thyatira is the church of the middle ages, which further attempted to combine Christianity with pagan philosophy and added even more un-biblical traditions. However, there were also people in this church who truly loved God and tried to serve others selflessly.16
5. Sardis is the 'spiritually dead' church, although it appeared to be busy doing God's work. Sardis can be compared to the church before the Reformation. Then, only a few leaders rejected false traditions and preached the true gospel of salvation by faith in Christ alone, which is all due to God's grace and not human good works, on the basis of the authority of Scripture.17 Today, several major Christian denominations that were founded during the Reformation still exist, however, they have been strongly declining in numbers over the last century.18
6. Philadelphia is a church that has been faithful to Christ and has witnessed to the gospel through missionary activity while facing opposition. Its members are encouraged by Jesus to hold onto their faith, despite their weakness. Philadelphia represents all faithful churches that will exist until the Rapture that have focused on spreading the gospel.19
7. Laodicea is the last church which has become spiritually lukewarm and disgusting to Jesus. This church was neither spiritually refreshing (cold) nor spiritually medicinal (hot) to its society.20 It could be described as being full of many people who thought they were saved because of their outer religious activities, but they hadn't truly believed in Jesus for their eternal salvation.21

Now, this theory is not completely perfect, because the last four churches, although they have their separate historical beginnings, all persist in some form until the Rapture.

We know this because Jesus tells the faithful members of Thyatira to "only hold fast what you have until I come" (Revelation 2:25).

Jesus also warns the church of Sardis that,

If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3, NRSV)

The language of Jesus coming like a thief parallels nicely with Paul's warning in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, which as I showed earlier, is a reference to the Rapture. Peter makes use of the same analogy of the last days coming like a thief in 2 Peter 3:10.

Jesus also promises the church of Philadelphia that,

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

This is a clear promise that the church of Philadelphia will still be around at the Rapture. Yet the church of Philadelphia is also described as having only a little strength/power left at this point, although it has been faithful and hasn't denied Christ (Revelation 3:8).

In contrast, the church of Laodicea is the last church of the Church age, and it seems it doesn't think it needs Jesus at all. This church thinks it is rich and successful, but actually, Jesus says it is poor, naked, blind, and pitiful (Revelation 3:17). Jesus is on the outside, knocking to be let in by anyone who wants to have a genuine relationship with him (Revelation 3:20).

Many end-times commentators would argue that the church of Laodicea is found today in churches with leaders who promise Christians that God wants us to be happy, healthy, and rich in this life. And their leaders usually are excessively rich, thanks to how they persuade their listeners to donate to them, while claiming that God will then give the listeners more money.

But becoming rich or successful in this world is not what Christianity is about (1 Timothy 6:5-10, NLT).

Now, if this is a fair interpretation of church history and the general state of large parts of the church in the end times just before the Rapture, then it is more proof that the world will remain generally 'normal' until the Rapture.

Why?

Because true Christians who will believe in Jesus after the Rapture won't be able to set up churches that could be mistaken for being rich and successful.

Instead, people who convert to Christianity after the Rapture will likely have to operate like the early church, by meeting secretly in individual homes or other places for worship in order to avoid persecution. In many places around the world where Christianity is illegal or persecuted today, this is how Christians have to meet.

And by the time of the fifth Seal judgment, religious persecution will become so intense around the world that many people will be killed for their faith in Christ (Revelation 6:9-11).

Of course, there will be some 'churches' that continue to operate 'normally' during the first half of the Tribulation. That will be because their leaders and members never had personal faith in Jesus as their Savior, and so they were not raptured.

These left-behind 'churches' will likely become part of the false one-world religion that, for a time, will operate in union with the Antichrist's system and will persecute true Christians (Revelation 17:3-6).22

However, this false religion will eventually be destroyed by the Antichrist and the ten kings (Revelation 17:16-18). This will probably occur at the halfway point of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist will declare himself to be God and demand that everyone worship only himself (Revelation 13:5-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

This destruction will be done with the help of the False Prophet's miracles and the creation of the Image of the Beast that kills those who won't worship it (Revelation 13:12-15). Eventually, many Christians will be beheaded (Revelation 20:4), and others will have to find ways to survive without taking the Mark of the Beast.

Many end-times watchers have predicted that if the world continues the way it is going, Christian persecution will increase. This will be true even in Western countries, as our governments become less and less favorable to Christian morality. In particular, churches may eventually lose their charitable statuses if they aren't willing to endorse particular sins that our governments believe should be supported.

It's true that some Christian persecution may increase before the Rapture, depending on how much longer Jesus waits before coming back for us. If so, this persecution will contribute to faithful churches feeling even more like they only have a little strength/power left, like in the case of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:8).

But it is also clear that the sequence of these seven churches shows that in general, the faithful church will NOT have to return to operating like the early church did when it was facing massive systemic government persecution.

If anyone is skeptical of this interpretation of these seven churches, other verses confirm the general idea that in the last days, some churches will fall away into false teaching and immorality (e.g., 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 2:1-3). Most notably:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Thus, Jesus's warnings to be on the lookout for false Christs and deception (Matthew 24:23-27) have always been relevant to the church. These warnings will be especially relevant during the Tribulation because of the false world religion that will arise along with the Antichrist who will attempt to impersonate Jesus.

Therefore, while none of this seems positive on the surface, there is actually a positive and encouraging message we can gain from it.

This message is that faithful Christians today can trust in the promise Jesus made to the church of Philadelphia that Jesus will keep us from/out of the time of the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10).

Therefore, we don't have to worry that the Church as a whole will return to the state of the persecuted church of Smyrna, because the Rapture will happen before the last false worldwide religion will appear and begin to persecute true Christians during the Tribulation.

Conclusion: The Paradox of the Last Days

In summary, this is what we should expect as we approach the last days:

• The world will be getting worse both morally and in terms of wars, famines, diseases, earthquakes, and other disasters.
• But the world will also be going along relatively normally, and people will be buying, selling, planting, building, marrying, etc.
• The signs of the approaching Tribulation will increase in frequency and intensity like a pregnant woman's birth pains.
• But most people in the world will be mostly oblivious to the signs of the end times.
• Christians who are paying attention will see the Tribulation approaching.
• But the Tribulation will begin suddenly, without warning, once the Rapture happens.

As I have shown in this post, I believe there are multiple pieces of Biblical evidence that show that life will be 'normal' right up to the Rapture.

The Bible also shows that the world doesn't slowly creep into the Tribulation. Instead, the Tribulation begins with a bang that catches most of the world off-guard. I believe that 'bang' will be the Rapture.

Therefore, Christians today shouldn't be afraid of what we see happening in the world.

We are supposed to be waiting and watching for Jesus's return at the Rapture, who will save us from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We are never told to watch for the rise of the Antichrist or for the onset of God's wrath in the Tribulation.

Yet, depending on how much longer we have before the Rapture, times might become more challenging as the signs of the end times continue increasing.

However, we can be confident that before the Rapture, we will not see any wars that reach the level of the second Seal judgment (Revelation 6:3-4), even though Jesus said we will see various wars and threats of wars increasing (Matthew 24:6-7).

And no matter how bad inflation and food supply problems might become before the Rapture, it won't become so bad that for most of the world, it takes an entire day's wages to pay for a small amount of wheat or barley, perhaps equivalent to a loaf of bread (Revelation 6:5-6).

And there won't be any wars or diseases or famines that wipe out more than a quarter of the world's population before the Rapture happens, either (Revelation 6:8).

So if you are a Christian who is concerned about the future, I hope this post will comfort you. I also hope it will encourage you to keep holding on to your hope in the Rapture (2 Timothy 4:8), to keep watching for Jesus's return, and to do what God is calling you to do for him while we still have time.

In particular, I would recommend writing a letter like this one and putting it in a place where it could be found by anyone who might look for you after the Rapture.

Or, even better—talk to your friends and family right now about Jesus and why they need to believe in him to be saved, both eternally, and from the coming Tribulation.

If you are reading this before the Rapture and you have not yet believed in Jesus, it's very simple to do, and also completely free. Then you can not only have the hope of being saved from experiencing the Tribulation through the Rapture, but you will also gain eternal life, and a personal relationship with God!

There's no time to wait, because Jesus told us that

Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28).

This verse is not talking about our personal salvation, which is eternally secure the moment we believe in Jesus (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Instead, it's talking about the Rapture, which Paul calls the "redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). It is then when we will receive our new, eternal, glorified bodies that will never again age or become sick or weak (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

And so Christians should be excited, because it seems to me that our bodily redemption and rescue from this sinful world is now very, very near, indeed.

P.S. If you would like some daily encouragement regarding news about the end-times and Jesus's soon return, as well as clear reminders of the truth of the gospel, check out the videos by Watchman River on Youtube, also available on Rumble. I have watched many of them, and have found his teaching to be quite reassuring, and hopeful, although he preaches the traditional Christian view of hell as eternal torment, while I prefer Annihilationism.

Footnotes:

• 1. Jeff Diamant, "About four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is 'living in the end times'," Pew Research Center, December 8, 2022. Yet strangely, at the same time, "about seven-in-ten evangelicals say either that they are not sure Jesus will return during their lifetime (50%) or that Jesus will definitely or probably not return during their lifetime (21%)."
• 2. Yonah Jeremy Bob, "World order on verge of cliff - first Israeli national intel assessment," The Jerusalem Post, December 19, 2022.
• 3. Robert Farley, "5 places World War III could start in 2023", Business Insider, January 3, 2023.
• 4. Brian Evans, "The world could face the worst financial crisis since World War II as hyperinflation looms, hedge fund says", Business Insider, November 3, 2022.
• 5. Michael Snyder, "The Food Crisis of 2023 Is Going To Be Far Worse Than Most People Would Dare To Imagine, October 17, 2022.
• 6. Ian Smith, "Central Bank Digital Currencies: Which countries are using, launching or piloting CBDCs?" Euronews.com, November 3, 2022.
• 7. "A Snapshot of Digital ID in the 10 Most Populous Countries — Part 1", Trulioo.com, August 13, 2019.
• 8. Middle East Monitor, "Israel-Saudi Arabia to normalise ties 'within a year' claims former ambassador," December 12, 2022.
• 9.
• 10. Hal M. Haller, "Matthew" in The Grace New Testament Commentary Vol. 1 Matthew-Acts, ed. Robert N. Wilkin (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010), 115.
• 11. William D. Mounce, "4161" in Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 1234.
• 12. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 52.
• 13. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 59, 64.
• 14. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 64.
• 15. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 67-68.
• 16. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 72.
• 17. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 73, 81.
• 18. Dean R. Hoge, "Mainline Churches: The Real Reason For Decline," First Things, March 1993. Hoge says, "somehow, in the course of the past century, these churches lost the will or the ability to teach the Christian faith and what it requires to a succession of younger cohorts in such a way as to command their allegiance." A new study in 2021 showed that while both mainline and evangelical churches are declining in numbers, the mainline churches are still shrinking faster than evangelical churches: Ryan P. Burge, "Mainline Protestants Are Still Declining, But That’s Not Good News for Evangelicals", Christianity Today, July 13, 2021.
• 19. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 83-85.
• 20. Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 205-206. An alternative interpretation is that both hot and cold drinks were enjoyable, but "in contrast, the temperature of a cup of lukewarm water or wine is more like that of its surroundings; it does not distinguish itself to the touch. When applied to the Christians at Laodicea the imagery suggests that their works in no way distinguish them from others in their society": Craig R. Koester, "The Message to Laodicea and the Problem of Its Local Context: A Study of the Imagery in Rev 3.14-22," New Testament Studies 49 (2003): 407-424. Accessed March 31, 2012. doi: 10.1017/S0028688503000201.
• 21. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 89-91.
• 22. John F. Walvoord, Revelation, The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries, revised and edited by Philip E. Rawley and Mark Hitchcock (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2011), 255. "Her position as a rider indicates on the one hand that she is supported by the political power of the beast, and on the other that she is in a dominant role and at least outwardly controls and directs the beast" (255). She is called Babylon because, "it has been noted by many writers that the iniquitous and pagan rites of Babylon crept into the early church and were largely responsible for the corruptions incorporated in Roman Catholicism from which Protestantism separated itself in the Middle Ages" (256-258).