I’ve been reluctant to wade into the current hysteria concerning September 23rd. I’ve seen the videos and I understand many of the things offered as reasons why the rapture MUST occur in about two weeks. But for me, there’s one major show-stopper, and it’s in Matthew 24 –
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14, NKJV
Jesus warns against deception and warns, “all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” The end arrives when the “gospel of the kingdom” has been preached in all the world. Has this happened yet?
I used to think that it has. What have we been doing for the past 2,000 years? Well, not so fast.
There are arguably three “gospels” in the New Testament. First is the gospel of the kingdom, which was preached by John the Baptist and also by Jesus and the disciples before the crucifixion. The key elements were, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The appropriate response was repentance, change of life, and water baptism. This was before Calvary and the resurrection. While the coming kingdom was proclaimed, the identity of the King was not.
Second was the gospel of grace, preached by Peter to the Jews beginning in Acts 2, and also preached to the Gentiles by Paul. Its key elements were repentance and remission of sins, based on the resurrection and Lordship of Jesus Christ. Review Luke 24:47, Acts 2:22-38 and 1 Cor. 15 – or read What Is the Gospel? for a complete discussion. Its baptism was that of the Holy Spirit, though water baptism was included. It is THIS gospel, and not the gospel of the kingdom, that we have preached for the past 2,000 years.
The third New Testament gospel is the “everlasting gospel” presented in Revelation 14:6-7 and it is “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Its content does not appear to map to, or be a restatement of, those two gospel messages that precede it. Arguably, the implicit baptism was one of judgment.
It appears to me that Jesus told His disciples – and us – that the worldwide preaching of the gospel of the kingdom was the final event before the end. The King is returning to establish His kingdom. Has this specific message been preached to all the world as a testimony to all the nations?
A very small remnant of the professing church has indeed proclaimed this, and has been proclaiming it for many years. But the world has been distracted, deceived, and lulled into complacency. The message has not been heard.
So while I hope the Lord returns for us this year, I’m not optimistic. Rather, I expect that WW3 will see the disruption of the grids and the destruction of many distractions, causing people to become more aware of the real world. Into this world will step the many silent Christians who have been disenfranchised by organized Christian religion, and have been waiting patiently “in the wilderness” for such a time as this.
There is a second reason why I think, “not yet.” We see the following in Mark’s gospel:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Mark 16:17-18
I can understand push-back on this, because the obvious context is the Great Commission and the gospel of grace, based on the resurrection. But these are still unfulfilled promises. The vast majority of believers, at least in my real-world experience, have never spoken with new tongues, taken up serpents, survived toxic beverages, or laid hands on the sick and seen recovery. Why not?
I’d suggest that God gives gifts or enablements when they are needed. We don’t have much demon possession; it seems to be much less than it was in Jesus’ day. I have no need to speak in other languages, am in no danger of serpents or other wild animals (the “serpents” mentioned may be worst case scenarios), and our water is still safe to drink. So we might ask: can we expect a change in the future?
Maybe. A world controlled by miscreants is quickly coming upon the rest of us. They own the water supplies and much of the land. They currently own the media and control the narrative. Ask the experts whether demon possession is increasing. And then feel free to speculate what sort of resistance you might expect from the public in your neighborhood if you announce in the marketplace that Jesus Christ is coming to destroy the current pagan and political power structures and establish His global kingdom of righteousness.
What is the likelihood today, compared to just 20 years ago, that you would be speaking to people whose language is not English? In today’s world, speaking other languages may be a necessity, especially if our Lord wants us to deliver His kingdom gospel message. What’s the likelihood today that potable water may be in very short supply, or perhaps unavailable? Or let’s suppose our marketplace preacher gets accusations that his message is not true. What’s the likelihood that you will be believed if your message is authenticated by healing the sick in your audience?
I sent a preliminary version of this idea to a few friends, and two suggested that the events in Rev. 14:6-7 are the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14. In other words, the end comes when the angels preach to the world. I find this problematic: first, because it seems like “the end” is well underway when the angels preach; and second, because the content of the two gospels substantially differ from each other.
Every word is established by two or three witnesses. I’m a lone voice on this, as far as I can tell. Maybe I’m completely wrong – we will have more light in about two weeks. But a LOT of the current narrative seems to be designed to make Christians cower. Hide quietly until Jesus comes to rescue us. If we faced the prospect of being called to boldness, anticipating that we – like John the Baptist – are about to be called out of the wilderness and into the fight, maybe we would see our world and our future a little differently.
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