“They Shall Not Escape” Before the Rapture?

“They Shall Not Escape” Before the Rapture? - By Mark A. Becker- https://www.raptureready.com/2021/09/01/they-shall-not-escape-before-the-rapture-by-mark-a-becker/ What I’m about to present is something that stirred in my heart on August 28, 2021. The only other time that I have had a thought come into my mind and immediately wrotean article, and then posted and submitted it for publication with little to no evaluation, was Death and Sheol. I’m not sure why this has happened on these two particular articles, but for some reason, I just felt compelled to get them out there as soon as possible. Are these twoarticles divinely inspired? I honestly don’t know, and I would never imply that anything I’ve ever written is divinely inspired. One of my mottos is, “If I’m right about anything concerning future prophecy, all glory goes to the Lord and Him only. If I’m wrongabout anything concerning future prophecy, then that’s on me.” For 25 years, I have always thought of the rapture as a “sign-less” event. But on this day, I began to have a little different perspective in light of what we have beenwitnessing for the past several years and when considering some prophetic passages of Scripture. In this quick study, we will be focusing our attention on 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6. And, as always, let the reader be the judge. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” One of the passages that has always intrigued me is found in Christ’s Olivet Discourse: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). Immediately after this pronouncement from our Lord, Christ delves into the mystery of the rapture of the church found in Matthew 24:36-51, Mark 13:28-37, and Luke 21:28-36,with another passage in Luke 17:26-37. (For more information on Christ’s teaching of the rapture of the church in His Olivet Discourse, please see Is the Rapture of the Church in the Olivet Discourse? and “The Eagles be Gathered Together”.) As I explain in these articles, concerning the above verse, is that the world will know when Christ will be coming back at His Second Coming and, being as this verse isthe opening salvo to the doctrine of the rapture, can only be applied to the rapture. Plus, the Lord’s Second Coming doesn’t happen when things begin to happen but when things are fully completed. Therefore, “when these things begin to come to pass” impliesthat Christ’s church will be fully aware that the Lord’s coming to take His church home to be with Him in His Father’s house is very, very near. This also goes hand-in-glove with Paul’s statement that: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2). The Lord’s church will know “the times and the seasons” of the Lord’s return, as we will be looking up for our blessed hope (Titus 2:13), which is an affirmation of Christ’s “when these things begin to come to pass.” When we see these things begin to come to pass, we should know “that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” (The phrase “thief in the night,” as I expound upon in An Examination of the ‘Day of theLord’, always refers to the rapture of the church.) The surprise won’t be for us – as we will know that the time is at hand – but to those who are left behind. Therefore, it stands to reason that there will be events, orsigns, that we see that will alert the church to the lateness of the hour and the nearness of the rapture. “Peace and Safety” This is the verse that really reverberated for me on this particular day. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). So often, when we read this verse, we have a tendency to think that because the focus is on “them,” that “we” must have already been taken in the rapture. But I don’t thinkthis is necessarily the case, nor do I think it has to be the case. The Abraham Accords had been a major policy initiative of the Trump Administration, facilitated by Jared Kushner. As we know, the Bible is Israel-centric, and Israel hasbeen a nation desperately desiring peace and safety (security) with her neighbors and her enemies. These accords, most prophecy students and teachers believe, are a pre-cursor to the covenant that Antichrist will make with Israel and the many (Daniel 9:27). Almost immediately, we had the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, I would argue that the world has had “sudden destruction cometh upon them, as a woman with child.” Even thoughthe church is still here, their future is written in stone, “and they shall not escape.” The world is reeling from all of this – from economics, to variants, to experimental “vaccines,” wars, and more – and we know that it’s just going to get worse for themas they prepare to enter the Tribulation. I believe that these events – the strong desire for “peace and safety (security)” and the pandemic with its repercussions (with the globalists capitalizing on the situationto help usher in their New World Order) and many other indicators – are signs that should alert the church to her soon rapture, and we should certainly be looking up! Not in Darkness “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night,nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). Because we “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake [us] as a thief,” we should all be ready and looking up for our Lord’s soon return. The day of the Lord isabout to commence with the rapture of the church, and the events and signs we are witnessing today seem to be pointing to just that. “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). But, until we hear that trumpet of God, “let us not sleep, as do others,” and keep preaching the glorious gospel of the Lord to a lost and dying world who desperately needJesus Christ in their lives. While we continue to preach that gospel, “let us watch and be sober” as we keep looking up for our majestic Redeemer. “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all thesethings that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:35-36). Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha! VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM