|
A Rapture letter.
To whom it may concern;
Well, this should concern everyone. By now you've probably heard, thousands of people
are gone, disappeared into thin air. You might be afraid, and if so keep reading, I'd like to help you to understand what
is going on, the best that I can. However, I am particularly concerned about those of you who do know. You probably belonged
to a church that taught you that once you said those few words you had fire insurance and a sure spot in the Rapture, no matter
how you lived from that point on. You may have been taught that there was no rapture, it passed, it is still to come, or that
the world will be restored to paradise when Jesus comes again.
You now know the truth. The rapture was real, it happened, and you've been left behind.
This is no time for I told you so, because the time is short. Your first step is
to pray. I don't know for sure what will happen in your future, but I have been told that their will be saints coming out
of the rapture. You can be one of them. Pray, receive Christ into your heart now, for real, tell him that no matter what,
he is the savior of your heart, your master, your God and there is no other. Tell him that you believe in the death, burial
and resurrection of Christ as outlined in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Step two is to begin reading your Bible. Meditate on it as much as possible, the
time may come, when you can no longer possess the word of God physically. But you can always hide the word in your heart.
Meditate, in the Bible means to murmur, ponder, aloud. Read those scriptures aloud as much as possible. The Bible promises
that the word of God will not go out and return unto him void. Speak his word out loud and let it get into your heart 3 ways,
by sight, by ear and by mouth. You must know what you believe. Start in the New Testament, just because the time is at hand.
Revelation should be read as well, I cannot give you the full meaning of what each prophecy means, but check the websites,
such as this one Rapture Ready, and others, check the links page on this site, it is quite thorough.
Step three, is the hardest, but the most important, you must tell others. Find a
way, by email, by word of mouth, by phone, by postal mail. You must tell the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone you know,
the time may come where your life will be on the line for doing so, but know that you are in good company. The apostles in
the Bible faced death for spreading the gospel but God was with them, just as he is with you, and he still loves you. He doesn't
want anyone to perish. Hell is real, it was meant for Satan the devil and his followers NOT YOU.
Know this, the victory belongs to Jesus Christ, stick with him unto death. One more
important note, no matter what DO NOT EVER take a stamp, a chip, a mark of any type into your body (hand or forehead) it is
the mark of the beast 666, and those who accept this mark pledge their allegiance to the anti-Christ and Satan they are going
to Hell and their is no going back.
The peace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
After the rapture transpires, end-time knowledge will instantly become
a very important commodity. In the post-rapture world, everyone will be either a new believer or a potential convert to the
Christian faith. Finding good resource material will be no small task. At any given moment, only a few thousand copies of
any book, video, or tape is available for sale to the public. Many Christian websites offer a wide variety of material, but
it’s hard to imagine how they could still function with most their staff raptured away.
Normally, a publisher requires several months to print just a few million
copies of a book. It could take years to produce several million copies of that book. Because the size of the global population
reaches into the billions, it will be impossible for book publishers to supply the needs of such a large group of people.
Knowing that a great delusion will sweep over the world, it seems unlikely that authorities will idly stand by and allow for
the mass distribution of prophetic materials.
The best way to disseminate large amounts of information to millions
of people in a short period of time is through the internet. As I’m writing this page, 200 million Americans are regularly
visiting the web. With enough bandwidth, you could reach an unlimited number of people.
Because there are only a handful of prophecy websites on the internet
that offer good information, the bandwidth demand on these sites will be massive. The rapid advancement of technology is making
it possible for one site to reach millions of viewers. When Rapture Ready first started, it had a monthly traffic limit of
500,000 bytes. The site currently has a capacity of 3,000 megabytes, which is a 6,000-fold increase.
The Rapture Ready domains will only be up for limited amount of time
before they expire or collapse from high traffic demand. Because everything that happens during the tribulation will be of
a life-and-death matter, it is very important that tribulation saints copy and share the key files found on this site. Listed
below are three ways you can share the content of RR with other people:
Mirror the site:
Because of the high traffic demand
that the rapture will place on RR, the site needs to be mirrored as many times as possible. Some programs automatically perform
this task, but it is unlikely that most people have access to this type of program. Although it may be time consuming, a reliable
way to mirror the site is to save the content from each page onto your hard drive and then transfer the material to a web
host provider. In order for the public to easily find a working mirror site, it would be a good idea to serialize the files
with a numbering system. It could go something like: (raptureready1.com, raptureready2.com, or raptureready3.com…) If
RR2 or RR3 were not accessible, people could travel up the chain until they found a functioning domain.
CD or DVD discs:
Compact discs can hold vast amounts of information
without having to depend on the internet. The standard CD-rom stores up to 700 megabytes of data and a DVD disc holds as much
as 8.5 gigabytes of data. Rapture Ready has more than 5,000 files that amount to 300 megabytes. Once created, these discs
can be quickly duplicated and mailed to fellow believers. Because a working copy of RR can be quickly upload from a disc,
this will be an important factor in the process of mirroring the site.
Email:
The main benefit of email is its capability of sending
information to a select number of people. You can attach files to any email, but they can’t be very large. Most email
accounts have restrictions against the transmission of large amounts of data. You can use email to point people to links that
will allow them the option of downloading the information.
I would like to begin by stating that I am not telling people that they don't need salvation today. However, I am a realist,
not an idealist. Reality dictates that after the rapture, people will be left behind because of their own unbelief, procrastination,
or pride. The point of this article is not to reassure people that they can wait to believe in the Lord until after the Rapture
happens. It is simply a look at what the scriptures have to say about salvation during the Tribulation. Those people 'lucky
enough' to actually live through that time of wrath will have the opportunity to repent, but they also need to know that they
will likely be martyred for their faith. It will be a long, hard road.
The foundation of our relationship with the Lord is faith, not proof. “Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The Lord asks us to have
faith in Him, and to trust Him by faith alone. It is my belief that, by rapturing the church as He said He would, God is making
one last attempt to prove His deity to those who resisted. God's purpose is ALWAYS redemption. While He IS removing
the church to protect them from His wrath, He is also reaching out to a lost and dying world"
As described by Jesus in the book of Matthew, the Tribulation will be a time that
has never been seen by this world and never will be seen again (24:21). The rapture, in itself, will be a major calamity unlike
anything the world has ever seen. There is no guarantee that those who are unsaved at the time of that great event will live
through it long enough to repent!
Lately, I have seen some differing opinions on the issue of salvation during the
Tribulation. Some people believe that only the Jews in general will be saved. Others believe that only the 144,000 Jews mentioned
in Revelation will be saved. Still others believe that no one will be saved during the Tribulation, however, I cannot find
scriptural support for those positions and during my study on this topic, what I did find actually disproved all of these
ideas.
Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about this issue. (All following
emphases are mine.)
1. What does God want?
Malachi 3:6a For I [am] the LORD, I change not
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God is not an ever-changing God. He is now as He was and as He will be. It is His desire that all men come to salvation.
These verses prove that His purpose is to redeem the lost. We can trust that does not change because of the rapture,
but, rather, the rapture is because of that purpose.
2. Can people repent during the Tribulation?
Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their
hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither
can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Revelation 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues:
and they repented not to give him glory.
Revelation 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
From these passages, we can see that mankind will be given the opportunity to repent during the Tribulation. These are
but a few of the references found in Revelation that show repentance and the lack thereof during the Tribulation period. Therefore,
we can be confidant that God's offer of salvation and forgiveness will still be available.
3. Who are the Tribulation Saints?
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds,
and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Revelation 7:13-14 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and
whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The people who repent and turn to God during the Tribulation are called the Tribulation Saints. First we see that
they are a multitude from all nations, of all peoples and tongues. Therefore the Tribulation saints will not be limited to
only the Jews or the 144,000. In addition, they will come out of the Great Tribulation, therefore they can not be the Old
Testament saints or the Church. It is simply logical to believe that "the multitude that no man can number" are the people
who turned to the Lord during the Tribulation."
4. What is the purpose of the two witnesses?
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore
days, clothed in sackcloth.
The purpose of the two witnesses is to preach the gospel to all the world during the Tribulation. The fact that the Lord
has seen fit to send these two men to accomplish this further clarifies that there is the opportunity for repentance and salvation
during the Tribulation.
5. Is there a point of no return?
Revelation 13:16-17 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in
their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation 14:9-10 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his
image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is
poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence
of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
During the Tribulation, all people will be faced with a destiny-sealing choice. This is what is referred to as the "mark
of the beast". Scripture indicates that it is tied to the economy, as no man will be able to buy or sell unless he accepts
this mark. Additionally we can see that the mark represents the worship of the Antichrist and the acceptance of his reign
on earth. Much speculation abounds about what this mark will be--ranging from a tattoo to a computer chip--but truth be told,
until it is instituted, no one will know for sure what it will be. What is important to note here is that the acceptance of
the mark will be a willful action and direct rejection of the Lord. The wrath of God will be poured out on those who accept
this mark. This passage indicates that it will be hell on earth for those who accept this mark.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them
that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years.
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which
he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into
a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
This passage states that the Tribulation Saints who will be martyred for proclaiming the name of Christ will live and
reign throughout the millennium. It also states that those who have taken the mark will not be a part of this group--their
fate is determined as well. The distinction that the Lord is making here is that the mark will be a defining moment--the point
of no return. Once this decision is made, fate is sealed for eternity.
6. Who will populate the Millennium?
Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem
shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
At the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns to set up His millennial reign, the earth will be populated by those
who believe in Him and survived the Tribulation.
7. Who is the restrainer?
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling
away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that
is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of
iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
This scripture shows that the Antichrist cannot rise to power or be revealed until the restrainer is taken out of the
way. One prevalent theory holds that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer that will be taken away, thereby making salvation
impossible. However, reading from the book of Joel, that theory is not acceptable.
Joel 2:28-29 And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount
Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This passage shows us not that only will the Holy Spirit remain on the earth, but also that the Lord is now and will
be willing then to forgive those who repent. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent and will remain with the believers throughout
the Tribulation. Without His influence, no one would be able to be saved! The restrainer referred to by Paul in this letter
to the Thessalonians is the workings of the Holy Spirit in the church.
8. What about the great delusion?
2Thessalonians 2:9-12 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Wow! Now there's some scary stuff. Paul is saying here that the Lord will send a great delusion to those who rejected
His truth so that they will believe the lies of the Antichrist. Will those whose hearts are hardened to the message of salvation
today still be hardened to it tomorrow? Romans 1:28 tells us that God is patient but He has his limits--He will turn over
a stubborn person to a debased mind.
The big question here is, what truth did they receive? In other words, what did they know?
Let's take a look at five distinct representatives of society.
Case 1: This is an Orthodox Jew with an MBA from Yeshiva University (Jewish College). He knows all about Jesus, but from
a historical perspective. He believes that Jesus was just a man that the Gentiles elevated to God status. Out of the blue,
I asked him one day what he would think if the Messiah came and it turns out to have been Jesus all along. His response? "If
he shows up with holes in his hands, I'm not buying it."
Case 2: This is a devout Muslim. He knows about Jesus, as Islam teaches that Jesus was one in a line of great prophets.
Islam also teaches that Jesus (not Mohammed) will return at the end-of-days and gather the faithful to Allah. He also believes
that Jesus was not God but, rather, just a man.
Case 3: This person knows the story as well. She is a scientist and rejects the need for God in her life. She can see
the benefit for others, just not for herself.
Case 4: A former co-worker of mine is a self-proclaimed Druid. He outwardly rejects the notion of God altogether. He
says he wants nothing to do with a God that will allow bad things to happen. Case closed; end of discussion. When his wife
went into the hospital for surgery, he was asked “priest or rabbi” by the admitting nurse. He told her to, "bring
me a bush to hug".
Case 5: This is the “all paths to God” person. This person believes that, just as the Lord confused the tongues
at the tower of Babel, He also sent different messengers to different people at different times. Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed
are all a part of the Godhead as well as the coming Jewish Messiah, whose role it will be to wrap it all up into a nice neat
little package. Two years ago, this described me. Sadly, this is also the fastest growing “religion” on the planet
today, and is sweeping college campuses like a storm under the name Baha'i.
Assuming these cases are symbolic of the prevalent mentalities in the world today, and representative of people who do
not come to repentance prior to the Tribulation, are they all damned? That sure is a lot of people now, isn't it?
No one knows what God's litmus test is regarding the “what did you really know about the gospel” question.
During the Tribulation, He will send a deluding influence which will allow people to be tricked, but only if their hearts
are hardened to the truth.
If you are reading this and the Rapture has already happened, do not be fooled! Earnestly pray and ask the Lord to show
you the truth. Keep your heart open to the answer. If you honestly want to know, just ask Him and He'll tell you. Here
is some additional information that will explain in greater detail.
So what's the bottom line?
This is why it is so important to come to faith in Jesus now. Better to be safe than sorry!
Trust me on this one--hedging your bet by waiting on the Rapture is a risky position to be in. I can assure you that
you don't want to be driving down the highway being followed by an 18-wheeler driven by a born-again Christian when the Rapture
happens. By the time you realize what hit you, it will be too late.
Are you really willing to gamble on the odds that you will live long enough to get a second chance?
|
