To those who miss the Rapture; a martyrs crown awaits!

To those who miss the Rapture; a martyr's crown awaits!

Waking from dreams that appear so real and the remnants of unbelievable tragedies remain with us can be too ominous to accept.  Spiritually, the warnings depicting future occurrences that may not be too far from our biblical literature are stirring the quiet moments we might desire.  

We may look at these uncomfortable events simply as results of reading or listening to preachers write about or speak to us of what is predicted from centuries ago as God’s Word.  A reminder that this was a warning to the people of Noah’s time when the Lord called upon this man to become a turning point on the earth.  “When the Lord saw how great man's wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, he regretted that he made man on the earth , and his heart was grieved.”   So the Lord said, “I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created, and not only the men, but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air, for I am sorry that I made them.  (Gn 6: 5 - 7). 

 Listen to the words of Jesus from the theme of the eschatology; “For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.   In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.  They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.  So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Mt 24: 37 - 39).

Matthew’s Gospel is very explicit in the Eschatological discourse that Jesus refers to.  It is a forerunner of the understanding of Revelation, Daniel’s input to this very literature, and the fact that it is all true, not hyper-bole.  It is obvious that too many Christians among others take a dim view of what is on the horizon.  Yet, in the days of Noah the people heard of the predictions from Noah, and the 21st century people are doing the same as those people and the end is not too far away.  

This has nothing to do with overlooking God’s Love for all of us.  It is the very fact that his eternal love is exactly why preachers, writers, and those chosen to promote a need to reach out to all non-believers with a warning of compassion and an opportunity to hear and turn back to God.  As written before, those side-walk preachers with clapboards announcing the end of the world may have brought sneers from people passing by, but today people are somewhat listening to their warnings and may be listening with an open mind. 

My dream went as follows:  There was an obvious attack on our world by the Chinese and the Church was no longer viable as far as bringing God’s word to the few Christians that were left.  Our priest, or bishop, was forced to preach on October 28, the feast of Simon and Jude.  The content of his preaching would be what the attacking forces would dictate.  For not adhering to their wishes, he was tortured and martyred along with the rest of us.  It appears to be another reality that may occur after the Rapture and those who may have missed being caught up for some reason will be left to evangelize over the next seven years of the Tribulation.  

As we read these words of possibilities there are many millions even today who need these same words of encouragement that God is real and alive, and his proponents to seek his forgiveness are paramount to saving their souls while time is still present.  For those of us who are being asked to bring more unbelievers back into the fold, do not waver in speaking out for the sanctity of our brothers and sisters wandering in the dark.  As we build an ark of belief into their hearts let us be there to support their wavering sense of doubt.  We must be like Noah and build faith where it has waned!

Ralph B. Hathaway