Spiritual Strength For Each Day
“…For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
When Paul writes to the Thessalonians about the Rapture, although he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, he interrupts himself to emphasize, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15). In His prophetic speech in Matthew 24, the Lord Jesus Himself mentions various events as signs of His return (wars and rumors of wars, for instance), which are meant for the people of Israel. For the Church of Jesus Christ, however, there is only one great sign by which she can see that the Rapture is imminent: it is Israel! The increasing troubles in Israel, therefore, are a sign of the Rapture of the Church. Parallel to this, the trials of children of God are increasing, in which they—we—need to become more persevering in our faith. We cannot get away from the fact that in recent times, we are experiencing an increase in trials and temptations that we had no idea of ten years ago. They are things that we cannot even define sometimes, but if we are persevering and stand the test, they will mean judgment for the world, but serve to prepare us for the Rapture!
