Jesus, I am convicted, spoke to this very end-times moment in which we now live in telling about His end-of-this-Age-of-Grace, sudden intervention into the intolerable wickedness of humankind. By the use of the adjective “intolerable,” I mean in the eyes of our Holy God.
Jesus described the time of that future intervention, as we’ve looked at many times in this column. He said it will be like it was in the days of Noah and, more specifically, in the days of Lot, when He will next bring catastrophic judgment to the earth like that with which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Following Lot and his family being taken by the angels’ hands and removed from the doomed city of Sodom to a place of safety, sudden destruction fell from above, decimating that whole region that had become intolerable to Heaven’s sense of righteousness.
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah undoubtedly no longer recognized as wickedness the evil that occurred every day and every night. They had, apparently, willfully immersed themselves in the absolute immorality that had totally polluted their society and culture. I think it’s fair to say this was the situation at that time because God destroyed all those living there, except for Lot and his family, with Jesus saying that Lot was “righteous in God’s eyes.” And that—God seeing Lot as righteous—obviously, we can conclude, was why Lot wasn’t so judged along with the others.
We leap forward now to our own time, examining and considering these days that almost certainly mirror those days of antiquity. If these days in which we live are the days about which Jesus prophesied —the time that will be like the time when Lot was removed so God’s judgment and wrath could fall—we must think on God’s method of removing the righteous so God’s sense of justice and righteousness can deal with the evil and wickedness of this world.
I choose not to go into all of the evil we’re witnessing all around us, and at every level, in this article. We’ve gone over these anti-God matters many, many times for, literally, years. I choose rather to think with you on a matter that’s among those of greatest interest to believers in Jesus Christ—the born again for salvation.
The Rapture of all born-again believers is inseparably linked to Jesus’ prophecy about the days of Lot in that Luke 17:26–30 account. The born-again believers in Christ for salvation of their souls are the righteous who, like Lot, will be removed at the Rapture (the twinkling-of-an-eye moment) when Jesus calls them into the clouds of Glory. This great event is, therefore, also linked inseparably to the sudden destruction that, like in the days of Lot, completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
The Apostle Paul was shown the mystery that is the Rapture of the Church. Paul was also given, through Holy Spirit revelation, prophetic truth about the terrible judgment that will immediately begin to fall upon those left behind—those committed to the evil and wickedness of this fallen world.
The following is Paul’s warning in that regard, linking sudden destruction to the Rapture of all believers.
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. 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 5:1–3)
The great apostle had, as recorded in the chapter just preceding this in 1 Thessalonians 5, gone into detail about the Rapture. He then gives the above prophecy, saying no one knows exactly when, but when the Rapture occurs, sudden destruction will come. This, of course, is exactly what our Lord said in the days of Lot prophecy.
At the same time the earth and those left behind are experiencing God’s judgment and wrath and the coming rule by Satan’s final dictator, Antichrist, all who have gone to Christ at the moment of Rapture will experience a “dynamic destiny.”
Here is the “mystery” the Lord told his immediate disciples—and what He later revealed to Paul, and, through His recorded words in the Bible, gave the great message of comfort for all of us who follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1–3)
And the Apostle Paul was further given, through Holy Spirit enlightenment, an exciting promise of the dynamic destiny of every believer at the moment of Rapture forward into eternity:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Again, Paul addresses the sudden destruction/dynamic destination matters, bringing them to a most comforting conclusion:
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1 Thessalonians 5:9–11)
Of course, if you don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ (haven’t accepted His grace gift offer for redemption from sin that separates your soul from God and Heaven), then you are, tragically, appointed to the wrath of God and His judgment for your sinful condition.
Here is how you can assure that you will not have to go through the Tribulation, or be eternally separated from God and Heaven:
That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)
Terry James Prophecy Line 
The past week or so I’ve been watching episodes from Expedition Bible on YouTube with Joel Kramer. He is a biblical archeologist and does a wonderful job of bringing the historical evidence the Lord left for us to discover. I am always encouraged by his videos.
His episode on the Cities of the Plain, which includes Sodom, is sobering. It leaves no doubt that God poured out His holy wrath on the evildoers who lived there…quite likely over at least 1 million people. It sets me to thinking about if we are as wicked as those cities, yet.
We certainly have the LGBTQ+ agenda on full display. Wow they are angry and violent about being refused our participation/celebration of their ‘lifestyles.’ It makes quite believable the story of the entire city resorting to violence for being denied access to the angels at Lot’s home.
The whole world is now immersed in the sexual perversions, child trafficking, and porn industry…the only thing remaining is open bestiality and pedophilia. Public nudity is becoming normalized among the Hollywood set, not surprising since ‘reality shows’ promote and encourage sex with multiple partners before marriage, polyamorous relationships, bigamy and marriage to total strangers, all in the name of entertainment. It is astonishing to me that anyone watches this stuff but they make huge money and the audiences are unlimited.
Self-adoration is rampant: AI, eugenics, pharmakia (I just read that the average American now gets 19 prescriptions per year), fake nails, fake eyelashes, fillers, plastic surgery, implants, designer clothes, designer cars, designer homes, designer vacations, designer babies, abortion on demand, IVF which results in many more discarded fetuses than abortion could ever create, rampant gambling, extravagant entertainment…it seems to me the whole world is a corrupted mess. And this is from my limited horizontal viewpoint, God sees ALL!
When I get overwhelmed and discouraged, I remind myself that the Lord is sovereign and every vexing sign means we are getting closer to our call up to Heaven. It seems we are so close now.
I conscientiously try to keep my interactions with others positive and loving because it may be the last opportunity I have to create a memory in them of my love for Jesus. When we disappear, many of the seeds we have planted in His name, will sprout through the watering of the Holy Spirit.
My daily prayer is for the lost, and for patient endurance, and to be filled with the joy of His unbreakable promises. I have faith that I will soon be free from my own sin, fully glorified, and forever with my Savior. When I focus on these things, my days improve immensely; it is no wonder He called us to keep our eyes fixed upon Him, and not on the waves of the storm.
Good comment. I also have thought maybe we are not as bad/evil as Sodom but if you leave out the Christians of today and look at things from that viewpoint – things will look pretty evil. So, maybe we are closer than we think!
Thanks Mike. I hope we are. The biggest difference between our days and those of Lot is that the evil is global, like Noah’s time.
Things can’t become globally evil to the point of only 8 (or 4/3 like Lot’s family) being saved because the global Church has hundreds of millions of true Believers. (Billions claim faith in Christ, but I discern the number is far less than a billion.) Once we are gone though, widespread wickedness is going to be unimaginable. (I ponder what it will be like, but it doesn’t take too long for me to become overwhelmed, and I have to stop.)
Surely, the only reason we are still here is that God is holding everything back for His timing. However we can see Bible prophecy is unfolding almost daily now.
It’s difficult to love the Lord, and still have to witness the corruption and amoral culture exponentially increasing. I have immense empathy for Noah and Lot…and for the lost.
The judgements poured out upon the earth during the “Days of Noah” and the “Days of Lot” indicate the introduction of Fallen Angels corrupting mankind! A war is presently being waged in the heavens and the earth. Deception is increasing, governments are becoming unstable, and financial pressure is bringing the global economy to the brink of collapse.
I fully expect conditions to get significantly worse for the Church as we are told in several prophetic passages to be patient and to remember the patience of Job. We as believers will be tested like no other time in history yet for those that are alive and remain we will receive the promise of the “Blessed Hope”, not preceding our departed brothers and sisters who now rest.
James chapter 5 provides us with evidence that the Church will be tested prior to the Rapture even as the world faces economic ruin. Read this prophetic passage for yourselves. The “former rain” that occurred on Pentecost and the “Latter Rain” will also be poured upon the House of Israel. Israel must be prepared to take the mantle prior to the exit of the Church as they 144,000 will be sealed from Wrath.
Israel at present is not yet prepared spiritually and will not be, until Ezekiel 38/39 occurs in the form of the Gog/Magog battle. We know the outpouring of the Spirit of God occurs in Ezekiel 39:29 on the house of Israel. This outpouring I have no doubt precedes the Time of Wrath and their perspective judgements associated with it. I also believe a global economic collapse will occur prior to the exit of the Church as indicated by James 5 preparing the way to the Beast system.
It is interesting where much of the rampant depravity is present is in the West and is exported from the same nation that once prided itself as a Christian nation. We have rapidly become a haven of every foul spirit as portrayed for the rise of the prophesied Babylon to come! To become a this Harlot entity it must have one time been faithful!
Amen 🙏 even so come quickly LORD Jesus!
Thank you for This yet another Excellent article..
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I do so thank you for this very good article. My husband and I stand on these truths. He is 83 and I am 80. We have been saved for 58 years. We have seen great changes in the churches and with pastors, in our area, near Philadelphia,Pa. The Rapture is seldom mentioned, Christians are not encouraged or sin dealt with. We are so in “the last days.” Even so come Lord Jesus.”Jan
Very confusing (unclear) confirmation page