“Be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return” (James 5:7)
If you haven’t prayed it, you’ve said it out loud, or at the least thought it. “Lord, please stop all this hatred and violence. Please bring a revival of peace to our nation, our world.” But here is my question: do you really want all this mayhem to cease? Do you really want to wake up tomorrow morning to a world of calm serenity? By now you are probably thinking I’ve lost my loving mind, but please hear me out.
I am what is called a Pre-Trib believer. By that I mean, I believe the Rapture of the church will take place prior to a period called the Tribulation that the bible teaches. “The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. (I Thessalonians 4:17). Following that, the Tribulation will come, lasting for three and a half years. That period will in turn be followed by another three and a half years of what is referred to as The Great Tribulation. Without getting overly involved in teaching eschatology here in this blog, allow me to simply point out that those last three and a half years Jesus said will be, “a great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and never will be.” (Matthew 24:21). God’s words recorded in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah regarding that Great Tribulation are as follows, “In all history there has never been such a time of terror.” (30:7). This period of tribulation will include God’s judgments being poured out upon the earth. These judgments are found in the book of Revelation. All this will then culminate in the Battle of Armageddon. “And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16). “Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings.” (Revelation 17:14)
That brings us to the best part! The triumphant return of Jesus Christ! “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.” (Revelation 1:7). Jesus Christ’s second coming will usher in His 1,000-year Millennial Reign (Revelation 20:4-6). Following Christ’s reign, Satan will finally get what he deserves. “Then the devil was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10). And what will happen to we who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ? “God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:3-4)
That is the sequence of future events, the way I have studied them and understand them. Please do not hold me to every detail in the progression of these events. There is the possibility that I could be wrong. At any rate, here is the question I would like to leave you with. Knowing that all we are experiencing right here, right now, and the tribulation and suffering that are coming to this world; because everything will climax with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, a new heaven and a new earth, as well as our eternal rest with Christ; do you still want to pray for all this mayhem to stop? Or perhaps do you want to start praying, “Lord, bring it on!”
Darlene