The Jewish feast of Pentecost (Shavuot in Hebrew) has long been cited as one of the most important days of the Christian faith. Pentecost, meaning “50” or “Feast of Weeks,” is when the church of Jesus Christ was suddenly born into being.
It is also directly connected to the feast of Passover, when Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for Sin, as our perfect Passover Lamb.
Originally a simple Jewish feast day to commemorate the annual wheat harvest, Christians the world over now understand the great significance of this “Feast of Weeks”, culminating on that final, fiftieth day from Passover.
How amazing that God would use what must have been regarded as the least of the feast days, to birth His new and living Church in Jesus’ name.
And now, after two thousand years of the “church age,” how equally amazing to await the promise of our Lord’s appearing. For he will soon steal his church away, and call us home!
Undoubtedly, these two distinct events—one of biblical history, and one of that future promise still to be fulfilled—are intrinsically connected. Just as that day of Pentecost ushered in the church age, could Pentecost also be that same, set apart feast day, for completing the church age?
This will not be an attempt to prove that point. But rather, to satisfactorily pose the possibility of such a time and event, with the correlation and complement of Bible scripture.
JESUS’ TIMELY INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS DISCIPLES
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father,
“which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:4-8
The beloved Physician Luke gives us the back story. Those in that present day had personally witnessed the risen Savior dwell with them for some forty days, before he was finally received back into heavenly realms.
We open with Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples: to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. How they all must have marveled, in anticipation of such a coming event. What could it mean for them? How would it change the world they knew?
So they prodded their Lord, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”
And Jesus’ response went right to the point: “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” (And this is what you need to know:) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
Now, fast-forward about two thousand years, through the centuries of the Church Age. The rapture of the Christ’s Church now seems certain. It may take place at any given moment.
All signs appear to have been fulfilled. Nothing should now stand in the way of our Lord’s soon appearing. Nothing…except the Father’s own perfect will, to proclaim the very day and hour.
Unfortunately, much of the “Church” today has forgotten this, and has formed a wrong understanding of scripture.
Many are being taught that Christ’s appearing is contingent upon his earth-bound church being brought to perfection, by some great last-minute season of revival. Or worse yet, some legislation of Christianity, that will then usher in the Lord’s coming.
In a sense, they are proclaiming to God, “We will restore the kingdom of God right now, upon present earth. (Hence the terms, “Kingdom Now” theology, or “Dominion” theology). “Then Lord, you’ll be able to come for your glorious church.”
But scripturally, it just doesn’t work that way. It is not possible for any of His church to instigate (or legislate) times or seasons for Christ’s appearing. None of Christ’s Church body has ever had such power or authority. For Christ alone is the head of his body.
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:22-23
All things are under Christ’s feet (authority). All powers and principalities. All angels and demons.
Even those with vain imaginations—who suppose they can overstep the bounds of scripture to do things their own way.
For we are Christ’s world-wide body of believers. We’ve been bought and paid for. Now owned and obligated to serve only him. He alone is our Head.
Those who are truly His, are full of Him. Christ, who fills all with Himself. We are no longer our own—thank God! We’ve been bought with a great price, saved, and set apart for His service.
Can any physical body move without instructions from the head? Physically, that would simply be a muscle malfunction. Or some knee-jerk reaction from neurological misinformation. That’s not a true or trustworthy command from “headquarters.” And to follow such misinformation (and not God’s actual written Word) leads to deception.
According to the Bible, a great revival (of sorts) IS coming. Scripture expressly shows us when this will take place, and who will be involved in such a time. It will be during the Tribulation—after the Church is out of here, and countless millions will come to belief during this time.
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
“Comfort one another with these words.” THESE WORDS. Not some imagined way of enabling our Savior to appear in the clouds. What vanity!
God never needs our “help” when accomplishing His timely purposes. What He needs is our trust and obedience, to take Him at His Word. And to wait for His perfect timing.
Comfort signifies rest. We can rest—assured that God takes care of the times and the seasons. We are not to worry, or seek out another plan. Our lives are hidden and held in Him. All things are under God’s sovereign control. All times and seasons.
Our precise evacuation date is certain, and set. And it does not depend upon our “getting it together” at some last moment, to be good enough or strong enough to receive Him.
Instead, our job as believers, is to wait, watch, and pray, just as the first century church was instructed to “tarry” for the promise of the Father.
To WAIT is to work (while it is yet day). To WATCH is to stay awake, wisely considering the times we now live within. And to PRAY is to proclaim the kingdom of God by faith, with each new day we remain His earthly Church. Right until that very moment we are suddenly received into His glory.
So, while many may foolishly ask, “Lord, would You now restore your kingdom to Israel?” (Or to the church? Or to America? Or some other municipal management of Christ’s church on earth.) The answer is No.
And for a very good reason: We His church are soon and surely to be caught away to meet our Lord and King at his appearing.
And it will only happen in God’s perfect and proclaimed moment of time).
ALL GATHERED TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said,
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9-11
Seriously now—I think most of us would have stared long and hard, at the sight of Jesus ascending up into the clouds!
Those disciples were astonished by what they saw that day. But soon they were interrupted by God’s heavenly messengers, to cease their upward gazing. And to start watching and praying for the promise of the Father, right there on present earth.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying:
Acts 1:12-13a
Those 120 or so disciples were soon gathered together, into one purposed place of watching and waiting. With one singleness of mind. With one hope.
And with one expectation, to receive the promised blessing they had been assured would come.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope;
for why does one still hope for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
Romans 8:18, 22-25
We are not like this present world, scattered by a wind of vain imaginations. Or who roam in every conceivable direction, in some attempt to make sense out of our senseless days.
We, who await our Lord’s soon appearing, have now been focused into one mind, into one expectation of Christ’s trumpeting call. For us, the sight and sound of our King of Kings calling us home far outshines anything else in this present generation of time.
In this sense, we have now “gathered into one place” (much the same as the 1st century church was gathered), to wait with patient perseverance, for the promise of the Father.
That first century day of Pentecost hosted a grand appearing of the power and the presence of the mighty Holy Spirit, upon all those who awaited the promise. Now, those of us who await the rapture, will, in like manner, soon witness Christ’s promised appearing.
A DAY LIKE NO OTHER DAY
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4
That day of Pentecost had finally and fully come.
Yes, there had been a time of waiting. A certain duration of days known only to God. Those gathered in that upper room would need to wait, watch, and be obediently patient (with God, and with each other).
It was a time of preparation and praying. Of staying strong, and staying put. That upper room was filled with 120 first century Christians, with minds and hearts very much like our own. All were apt to drift at times, with their attention spans, emotions or unspoken concerns: Is this really happening? Could God’s promise of a Holy Spirit really be on its way?
Some may have doubted at times. Or maybe they didn’t. We can’t know for sure. But, what we do know by recorded scripture, is that on that particular day “they were all with one accord in one place.”
And yet, this just isn’t the way that human beings normally act. To have a group of 120, all with one mind, would be a miracle indeed, in any time or place.
Imagine that moment. When no one among them was distracted by thoughts of home. No impatient person, tired of being cooped up with the other 119 folks for days on end. No one feeling ill. No one troubled by his neglected occupation. No one needing to find a bathroom somewhere…and being absent just at the wrong moment.
Clearly, there was something supernatural in the air that day. Something that would connect them all together as one, as only God’s Spirit could do. He would bring every wandering, wondering mind into sharp focus—and every waiting heart into one expectant “place.”
If you’ve ever sensed the Holy Spirit’s strong presence at a gathering somewhere, you might recall how His “appearance” suddenly made everyone acutely aware that the spiritual atmosphere had changed. Those present became quiet and thoughtful. As if nothing else in the whole wide world even mattered. Nothing at all—except for Him.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed
1 Corinthians 15:51
The Apostle Paul declares the promise of that day-of-days. When we, Christ’s awaiting Church, will partake of that mystery of Rapture! In that twinkling-of-an-eye moment!
But like those who were waiting at Pentecost, we Rapture watchers may sometimes have our worries and doubts.
What if Jesus doesn’t come this year? What if he waits another ten years? What if…
And as they did, we must trust in the One who makes the promise. Christ’s appearing will take place right on time, when the day of Rapture has fully come. Then, and only then will God’s mighty trumpet sound for us!
Not a minute too soon. Or a moment too late.
AND SUDDENLY, THERE WAS A SOUND
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:2
Suddenly, there was a great sound, as of a rushing, mighty wind. (Some spirit-filled hurricane? A flash flood of heavenly praise to God?) Whatever it looked or sounded like, it had overwhelmed them. Filling and overfilling the whole place where they were.
Imagine it. No time to scream, or faint, or even pee your pants. IT WAS ON. Everyone there was changed in that moment of moments! Suddenly sealed—and set apart forever!
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:52
And just as those first believers heard a sound, Christ’s church, at the Rapture, will hear that SOUND OF SOUNDS! A GREAT AND GLORIOUS TRUMPET!
It will fill the whole earth with God’s mighty proclamation! Clearly heard and instantly understood, from everywhere in the world. Anywhere any born-again believer worshipfully awaits Christ’s true freedom.
It will be that great and final call to come forth. To come home. To meet our Lord and Christ in the clouds of Rapture! And to join with the hosts of heaven!
Then, the dead in Christ of all ages past will arise to meet their Lord. And we who remain, will suddenly be pulled up from this present age, to be transformed into Christ’s own image. Changed forever! And swept into eternal habitations of God’s awaiting glory!
GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT LEADS THE WAY
Christ Jesus came to all of creation in the likeness of sinful flesh. Though He certainly looked like us, He wasn’t exactly us. He was Immanuel. God with us.
And during his brief but powerful earthly ministry, Jesus would be that heaven-sent Sentinel, who would rebuke and restrain the darkness of Sin.
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:3-4
On that day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit blew in like a mighty, wonderful Wind—as those present were instantly engulfed in a torrent of tongues and fire! And suddenly, a new sheriff was in town. One who would enable Christ’s followers to overcome the darkness of Sin. One who could hold back the evil intentions of earth’s enemies. Until God would one day say “enough.”
God’s Holy Spirit would not only be the God with us, but the God WITHIN us. Now present within the very hearts of His church body. Occupying and authorizing His Church, throughout a two-thousand year span of the church age).
But soon, this will all need to change. For His church—and the Holy Spirit within us—must return home.
And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;
only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
For the last two thousand years of the church age, God the Holy Spirit has been holding back an onslaught of evil that is to come. He is holding back the full extent of what Satan longs to do to God’s creation. He holds back the tide of evil because of Christ’s church, still present upon earth.
Verse 6 states “he,” who will be revealed in his time. That refers the man of Sin or lawlessness, the antichrist. He cannot be revealed to the world until someone much greater than him is taken out of the way.
That of course, will be Christ’s own church, indwelled and led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit always leads the way. First, at the church’s new birth at Pentecost. And finally, at the church’s departure, upon that coming day of the Rapture.
WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about that day of the Rapture? I’m sure we all have. And why wouldn’t we? It will be that glorious day, when Jesus Christ and his Church will finally and forever be united as one!
There has been plenty of speculation about this coming day. Some folks imagine us being quietly stolen away, in some covert operation from heaven. As the world awakes to find multiple millions of us mysteriously vanished.
Well, maybe…
But I find that God is not afraid to make some noise, when He reveals His wonderful and timely purposes. He shows Himself strong, just at the right times of history.
Personally, I’d like to think that God would love to show off a little (or a whole lot) when He gathers His church home.
Though the world would love to silence God, He will not be silenced. He is never afraid of their prideful looks, or vain imaginings. God’s righteous justice allows Him to announce His Holy presence to a fallen creation. And hopefully, get their attention.
So why should Christ’s timely appearing, to rescue his very own family from earth’s certain destruction, be any less demonstrative?
Think about the great flood of Noah’s time, when eight souls and earth’s livestock got rescued from certain death. Was that a quiet time? Was it peaceful? Not hardly.
Most probably, it would have been wild flashes of lightning and peals of thunder. Raging waves and pelting rain! And roaring waterways of overflowing destruction, mixed with the bitter cries of a helpless humanity. No doubt, it was a very noisy and nasty day for all outside the boat.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;
and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Matthew 27:50-53
Jesus, crying out with a loud voice? That immense veil of the temple suddenly ripped from top to bottom? An earthquake? The rocks split apart? Graves bursting open? The dead raised to life, and walking around town?
Nothing here sounds calm or quiet, by any stretch of the imagination. No. It was wild, wonderful, and jaw-dropping, to be sure. This was God’s dear Son, who had just paid for the sins of the whole world.
And He would not go quietly.
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.
Acts 2:6, 12-14
The day of Pentecost was a Jewish feast day. It would have normally been observed “by the book,” so to speak, in a nice, calm, and orderly manner. And Jews from all over would have assembled there in Jerusalem, to partake of this yearly feast time.
But this particular Pentecost would soon prove itself to contain a whole new and unsettling significance. And this world-changing event would be anything but quiet.
The sound of a rushing, mighty wind? One hundred and twenty of Christ followers suddenly filled to overflowing with God’s own presence? Great utterances of God’s glory, filling and spilling out into the waiting streets? The onlookers crowding together, all marveling and arguing over what these “drunkards” were doing?
And finally, Peter—now filled with the power and presence of Almighty God—SPOKE. And he wasn’t quiet about it. Peter lifted up his voice, and gushed out the glories of Almighty God. He preached a message so powerful and prodding, that a crowd of three thousand repented that day, and were saved!
And these same new converts to Christianity would all soon return home, to their own towns, villages, and countries. But they had all been wonderfully changed!
And they would not go quietly…
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Undoubtedly, this glorious moment will not be a quiet one. Imagine how loud and authoritative that shout of our appearing Lord will be! He won’t be whispering any silent suggestions to come forth. Oh no. He’ll be commanding, and compelling his church upwards!
To come forth—much how like he shouted out to Lazarus, to be released from the tomb, after he proclaimed to Martha there, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
And what of that baritone shout of the archangel? I can’t believe this mighty prince of God will announce his KING of KINGS with anything less than THUNDER. With a rolling and reverberating roar across the heavens!
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
And how loud will that TRUMPET blast of God be? Loud enough to WAKE THE DEAD, to be sure!
Imagine it. Millions and millions of grave stones bursting wide open, all across the world. Millions of mini-explosions going off in that very same moment. Wow! No doubt it’ll be a real “graveyard smash!”
What might that sound be like? Some reverberating, deafening thunder? Or the roar of a rolling earthquake? Or how about a mighty and magnificent rushing wind?
Oh, how our God might speak to His lost creation, through the wonders of this day of days!
Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?
But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.
John 12:27-32
Jesus predicted his own death. But many that day did not understand him. Or believe what he was telling them.
And so it was on that day of Pentecost. And so will it certainly be on the day of our departure. There will be plenty of questions, mass-confusion, and tons of turmoil.
Some will say one thing. And others will say something different. Chaos and confusion will be the order of the day, and for many days to come, as this world slides further into darkness and deception.
But everyone still present upon planet earth, will know that something terrible and totally disruptive has taken place.
We can be assured, Christ’s world-wide church shall not depart from this place unannounced. Our day of Rapture will be a tremendous event, for sure. And a terrifying one, for so many left behind, who face the wrath of a coming antichrist’s imprisonment.
We will not be quietly riding off into the sunset. Hardly. For we are Christ’s very own—to be caught up in a thunderous announcement of Christ’s own glory! Captured and captivated by the illustrious light of his appearing!
JUST THE BEGINNING
That day of Pentecost was truly amazing. Seriously, could anything top such a moment in time?
But it wasn’t just about those one hundred-twenty disciples of Christ, awaiting the Holy Spirit’s arrival in an upper room. That was just the beginning.
Jesus Christ’s death upon a cross would only appear to be an end. In reality, it would a wondrous, continuing revelation of God’s eternal purposes.
And we must realize that this glorious day of Rapture will not just be a conclusion, but the very beginning of all else that must follow.
After the departure of the Church, those who hate Christ (and his church) will attempt to explain away the Rapture event. (Possibly “UFOs,” or some other manufactured phenomena.) They will do their best to proclaim “the lie,” and hope the fearful masses might believe it.
After Christ’s death and burial in the tomb, people were paid to report that his disciples had come in the night and stolen his body away. And many would believe that lie instead of the reality, that Jesus had risen from the dead.
On the day of Pentecost, many marveled that unlearned folks spoke fluently to them in their own native languages. But others, full of their own stupidity, simply spouted off that the disciples were drunk with wine.
And we can be sure that after the day of Rapture takes place, all sorts of lies and misinformation will spring forth, attempting to dispel the true reason millions of people have suddenly vanished from earth.
But the truth always gets out. God makes sure of that. And many of Christ’s followers saw the risen Lord with their very own eyes. Some five-hundred folks saw Jesus at one time. And the word quickly spread: Christ had risen from the dead. He was alive!
And alive forevermore!
And on that day of Pentecost, right in the middle of all the confusion, the Apostle Peter—filled and fortified with God’s own presence—rose up to proclaim exactly what was taking place.
No doubt, thousands believed his Spirit-inspired report. But might there have been some who still foolishly held to their “wine” theory? Oh, probably.
And so it shall be after the day of Rapture. (Can we even imagine the evening news?) For it seems that all of the amazing happenings still won’t be enough to convince the minds of many.
But for many others, this momentous event will begin a chain-reaction of earthly events, which will produce a harvest for heaven, like no other in human history…
POISED FOR GOD’S GREAT PURPOSES
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation,
and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple.
And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:9-17
Yes, it’s true. A great, uncountable multitude who were not taken in the Rapture, (because they were not yet saved,) will somehow be able to hear the truth of God, and not be swayed by the lies of a dark and dangerous world.
I can’t help believing that God’s truth (the gospel) will spread fast and fervently during those first weeks and months of tribulation. When terrified people will be desperate to hear God’s truth. And to believe it.
The gospel message may travel from house to house, each neighbor telling another. It may be covertly whispered among the masses. It will surely be spread among the captives, who are rounded up and imprisoned by an intolerant world. And this truth will be cherished by every suffering soul, who will be gathered as they await the sentence of death.
For ultimately, countless millions of end-times believers will come to grips with his own harsh and personal reality: they must die for having faith in Jesus Christ.
We can only imagine what atrocities might take place in that future time of testing. But the Bible records the good news for us to hear ahead of time: That a great and innumerable multitude of souls will come to believe in Christ, be saved, and die for the name of JESUS.
Try to picture the joy in heavenly realms, as so many once lost, are finally found. For once the horrors of those days have finally past, they will all be welcomed, comforted, and cared for by their loving Savior.
Many of these may be our own friends, neighbors, or family members. And many more will be a host of strangers we will one day have the great joy of meeting.
Whoever these many saints of the Tribulation will be, one thing is clear: They all will soon sacrifice themselves, and be joined to God’s forever family.
And we can be sure that God’s own Spirit will be right there among them, enabling them, and strengthening them to find their way home.
THE OPEN DOORWAY HOME
How compelling to contemplate some of the many parallels, between that feast day of Pentecost’s birth of the Church, and the soon-coming events of the Rapture. Many patterns certainly emerge when comparing the two.
Will this same, two-day feast of Pentecost also be our doorway home?
Of course, whatever day and hour our God chooses to take us from here, it will be a moment of moments. Much greater than we can even imagine. Because, like all great moments in time, we’d have to live it to even understand it.
Right now, from where we stand, it can be hard to fathom becoming like our risen Lord. We, with our many faults and frustrations. We, with our momentary problems, and a myriad of missteps along the way.
But—HOW GREAT HE IS! Our Savior! Our King of Kings! This confidant of earthly men.
How utterly and absolutely blessed we are, TO KNOW HIM.
To BE LIKE HIM. And to SEE HIM AS HE IS!
What a marvelous day this will surely be. So soon to be announced—by God’s resounding trumpet of glory!
And for us who know Christ Jesus, this will be the most wonderful and welcoming sound our ears have ever heard.
I’m ready. Are you?
See you there.