Page 139 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

Study Section 16: Evidence of how our present world
is preparing for the Tribulation

16.1 Connect

Since Jesus ascended into heaven, Christians have been waiting for Jesus to return as He
promised. While He never gave any exact date for His return, He did give us some
indicators about what the world would be like when He does. One key indicator was given:
“As in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39).
This passage tells us a couple of things about the time of Christ’s coming. First, people will
be eating, drinking, and giving in marriage which means everyone will be about their normal business
and not looking for His coming. Secondly, it tells us that evil will increase and the expression of sin will
become more blatant. God chose to destroy all of mankind, save Noah and his family, because of their
wickedness. As we look at the condition of mankind today, we ask ourselves, “Are we living in the last
days.” It surely seems so. Since the Flood, the wickedness of mankind has never been as prevailing as it
is today. So is there any evidence that the prophetic end times are at hand? Let’s look at the evidence…

16.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to explain the general preparations Scripture gives for Christ’s Second
Coming and how today’s culture identifies with them.

2. The student should be able to explain how Israel, and the current events taking place there, lead us
to believe that we are living in the last days.

3. The student should be able to describe how the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple is so important in
end time prophecies.

16.3 Evidence of how our present world is preparing for the Tribulation

The obvious question we would like to ask is, “How close might we be to the next prophetic
event which is the Rapture of the Church?” We cannot answer that question because God does
not want us to have that answer. We are living in the Church Age, which will end at the time of
the Rapture. The Rapture is imminent, meaning that it could happen at any time. In fact, it
could have happened any time after Peter’s martyrdom. And, for all we know, the Church Age
could last another 2,000 years. Daniel’s 490-year countdown timer is on pause and we are
simply not told when it will start again.

Jesus’ disciples often asked Him when the end times would occur, and He always reminded them that it
was not for them to know. We are not to set dates for the Rapture. First, whenever mankind has set a
date for the Rapture, he has always been 100% wrong. Second, those who set dates for the Rapture
usually end up in a cult which denies key Biblical truths and insist on loyally following a cultic leader
even though he or she is wrong.

The Rapture is imminent for a good reason. The expectation that Jesus Christ could call us as believers to
meet Him in the air at any moment should motivate us to be ready to meet Him at all times.

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