This is Going to be Huge

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

(ESV)

History is full of huge magnanimous events.  Often these events are positive like the moon landing.  Other huge events mark the ending of something bad like the ending of a war.  Other events mark tragedy like the attacks on 911.  Those of us that were alive during these huge events most likely remember what we were doing when these events occurred.  There will no doubt be other huge events in our future but the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 is a huge future event that can either be positive or troubling.  While it will be a glorious event for those caught up to be with Christ, it will usher in a time of great tribulation for those left behind. 

Jesus disciples came to Him on the Mount of Olives and asked him for a sign of His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3).  While Jesus’ disciples often made mistakes, and asked stupid questions, I believe this to be a wise question.  After all, they had the Son of God and God Himself with them and knew he had the answers.  Matthew 24:4-14 is Jesus’ answer to the question and describes the signs pointing to the biggest event to ever happen in the history of humanity.  Jesus answer includes,

1)      A warning not to be led astray (Matthew 24:4-5) – Satan the deceiver has used deception since the Garden of Eden so the fact that there will be false teaching and false messiahs is nothing new.  However, with social media and the internet, the speed with which false teaching can be spread has increased.  It is therefore wise for those of us living today to be cautious about what we see online.

2)      Wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6-8) – Wars and rumors of wars are nothing new either.  However, modern warfare has the possibility of causing mass casualties in an instant.  One of the major issues during the recent Presidential election was weapons of mass destruction coming into the hands of sponsors of terrorism like Iran.  (1)  North Korea, a nation that already possesses nuclear weapons, is currently testing missiles that have the capability of delivering nuclear weapons to the United States, something they have vowed to do.  (2) (3)  China is also building bases in the North China Sea by creating man made islands.  (4)  There is no doubt we are seeing wars and rumors of wars, wars that could erupt into a major conflict.  However, Jesus cautions us that these are just the beginning of events that will lead up to the biggest event in history (Matthew 24:8).

3)      Tribulation (Matthew 24:9) – Tribulation of believers in Christ is something that has occurred throughout church history.  This tribulation comes in two forms,

a.       Physical tribulation – In many parts of our world, being a believer and follower of Jesus Christ comes with a death penalty.  (5) 

b.       Social tribulation – In the United States and other nations where religious liberty is protected, one can usually freely practice their faith without fear of death.  However, choosing to follow Christ can bring rejection by friends or family or a form of social tribulation. 

4)      Falling away (Matthew 24:10) – Perhaps due to fear of either physical or social tribulation, many fall from the roots of their faith in God.  Peer pressure is nothing new but with social media and the internet, the speed with which one can experience this pressure has increased.  However, even in the digital age, we can resist peer pressure by,

a.       Turning insecurity into purity – Those experiencing insecurity are most susceptible to peer pressure for their insecurity tempts them to conform in order to belong to the group.  We have security in Christ and must resist any temptation to compromise our purity in order to conform.  (6)

b.       Know you are enough – We are all uniquely created by God with a special unique set of talents (Psalm 139:13-14).  Giving in to peer pressure to conform causes us to abandon the path God created us for and instead take a path of conformity that society and our peers view as normal.  Know God created you as you are with all that you need to serve Him.  (6)

c.       Love your neighbor – Often peers pressure us to conform out of a feeling of insecurity themselves and a need to feel superior.  Instead of giving in to their pressures to make us conform, we must stand firm out of love and serve in the unique way in which God created us.  (6)

5)      Deception and lawlessness (Matthew 24:11-12) – Unfortunately many are falling for the deception of Islam and many other false religions in our time.  In fact, if current trends continue, Islam will surpass Christianity as the world’s biggest religion.  (7)  The increase in violent protests and terrorism across the globe is also causing the hearts and love of many to grow cold but Jesus promises us that those that endure to the end will be saved.  Jesus closes his answer with the promise that the Gospel will be spread across the globe.  This is when the end will come.

As we can see, the signs of our time point to the eminent return of Christ, the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.  That is why I have a sense of urgency and want everyone reading this to be among those viewing this event in a positive way by being among those caught up to be with the Lord and not among those left behind.  If you are reading this and unsure which side of this future event you will be on, please take a moment to pray with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations, you are now among those that will be caught up to be with the Lord and escape the time of Great Tribulation coming upon the world.  Now, share the news with others by sharing this post with them by email or social media so they too can have an opportunity to escape the Great Tribulation and be with the Lord.

May God Bless everyone reading this.

1. Weinthal, Benjamin. Iran nuke deal will fund terrorists’ war vs. America. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 23, 2015. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/07/23/iran-nuke-deal-will-fund-terrorists-war-vs-america.html.

2. Gale, Jonathan Cheng and Alastair. North Korea Missile Test Stirs ICBM Fears. www.wsj.com. [Online] The Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2017. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-missile-test-stirs-icbm-fears-1488802971.

3. Knox, Patrick. KIM BOMB-UN Crazed North Korean leader threatens apocalyptic nuclear attack ‘ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME’ as US vows to shoot down any ballistic missiles. www.thesunuk.co.uk. [Online] The Sun, January 9, 2017. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2567884/north-korean-kim-jong-un-could-launch-apocalyptic-world-war-3-nuclear-attack-anywhere-and-anytime-because-of-us-provocation/.

4. Cohen, Zachary. Photos reveal growth of Chinese military bases in South China Sea. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN, May 15, 2016. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/13/politics/china-military-south-china-sea-report/.

5. Weber, Jeremy. ‘Worst Year Yet’: The Top 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Be a Christian. www.christianitytoday.com. [Online] Christianity Today, January 1, 2017. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2017/january/top-50-countries-christian-persecution-world-watch-list.html.

6. Eddington, Majorie Foester. Peer Pressure Resisted. www.biblewise.com. [Online] BibleWise. [Cited: March 13, 2017.] http://www.biblewise.com/teens/relationships-identity/peer-pressure.php.

7. Miere, Jason Le. How Many Muslims In The World? Islam Set To Overtake Christianity As Most Popular Religion, While US Population Also Rapidly Growing. www.ibtimes.com. [Online] IBT, February 28, 2017. [Cited: March 1, 2017.] http://www.ibtimes.com/how-many-muslims-world-islam-set-overtake-christianity-most-popular-religion-while-us-2498931.