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THE TIME IS SHORT! DON’T BE UNTAKEN!
Terry James note: My friend Constance Wyler promotes the preTrib view of the Rapture of all believers through her excellent novels. I very much endorse her spread of God’s Truth through her superb work in fiction, just as my great friend Tim LaHaye and his co-writer Jerry Jenkins did with their Left Behind series of novels.
I therefore urge you to get the materials and use this format –Truth through story telling—to convince the lost why now is the time for Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The most terrible time in human history awaits, according to the Lord Jesus (Matthew 24: 21(. Let us spread Word of His Work on the cross as a way to escape coming Judgment and Wrath.
Here is Constance’s offer.
THE TIME IS SHORT! DON’T BE UNTAKEN!
Yes, the Rapture (or when Jesus comes in the clouds and calls us believers to Him) could happen any minute, even as you’re reading this!
Yet there is HOPE ~ “…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9
But what happens to those left behind, the unbelievers–or those UNTAKEN?
I wrote the UNTAKEN End Times series, which is available at almost all online stores and consists of 4 books that cover 12 hours, 12 days, 12 weeks, and 12 months following the Biblical pre-Tribulation Rapture.
Scott Townsend, the creator of The Rapture Kit, has graciously posted FREE PDFs of all four UNTAKEN books on his comprehensive RaptureKit.org website, which is mentioned in my series. The Kit can be downloaded for FREE and is not only a wonderful resource of End Times information, but it’s also a great witnessing tool for those left behind after the Rapture.
Please check out Scott’s duplicated website, https://themissings.com/ (also noted in my books), and download the UNTAKEN series FREE PDFs at https://tinyurl.com/co-wyler, where the books can also be purchased in ebook, print, or audio format. This is my ministry, so Book 1 is always FREE as an EBOOK, and I make around $1 per any sold option.
Also, if you are interested in a physical Keychain RAPTURE KIT USB drive, please reach out to Roy McFadden at https://keychainrapturekit.com/ (it also includes the Free PDFs).
My prayer is that I meet you in the air SOON when the Lord comes for us. Maranatha!
Please help spread the Word and share this post so your loved ones WON’T BE UNTAKEN when the Rapture occurs.
Thanks in advance and see you in the air, hopefully soon!
Constance Wyler
I Didn’t Have the Imagination! :: By Jan Markell
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Invitation to a Lavish Feast :: Following Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture – By Jonathan C. Brentner
Book review by Terry James
Why do we believe what we do about Bible prophecy? Do the signs truly point to Jesus’ imminent appearing? Do our beliefs about the end times really matter for how we live or view our future?
My friend and colleague on Raptureready.com tells that he wrote the book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast: Following Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, to answer questions like these (available on Amazon). He says that during the past several years, he has encountered a variety of positions regarding Bible prophecy and felt a growing passion within to again defend what Scripture says about our “blessed hope.” His newest book, he indicates, came from a desire to provide believers with a firm foundation for their expectation of Jesus’ soon appearing.
The author says further: Many in today’s church regard what the Bible says about the last days as “tertiary” or of far less importance than other matters of the faith. Others say that our views regarding the timing of the Rapture are just our “best guesses.”
Nothing could be farther from the truth, he says.
The dearth of sound biblical teaching on Bible prophecy has, he says, created a void that false teachers have filled with a wide assortment of wayward beliefs regarding the church, Jesus’ appearing, the Second Coming, and Israel. This, he believes, keeps many believers from discerning the season in which they live.
Jonathan says that the title of his book, Invitation to a Lavish Feast, comes from Proverbs 9:1-6 where Solomon describes Wisdom’s preparation of a lavish feast and her invitation for the simple to join in the banquet. True Wisdom puts us on a path that leads to the pre-Tribulation Rapture by:
- Basing our hope exclusively on the words of Scripture, interpreted according to the original intent of the authors.
- Exalting Jesus’ preeminence in Bible prophecy, as seen throughout the book of Revelation.
- Aligning our future aspirations for both Israel and us with God’s character as revealed in His Word
The author says: In the first section of my book, “Wisdom’s Defense of Bible Prophecy,” I show each of the above points validates all that we believe regarding our anticipation of Jesus’ soon appearing.
The next section contains several chapters on Wisdom’s defense our belief in Premillennialism and in particular, the future restoration of Israel. I demonstrate that since Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks hasn’t yet reached fulfillment, there absolutely must be a time when God’s attention turns to the descendants of Jacob.
The current clamoring of the nations for a two-state solution in Middle East fits perfectly with what the Bible predicts would lead up to the seventieth week of Daniel’s amazing prophecy.
Jonathan says that all these things provide the basis for our belief that Jesus will appear to take us home to glory before the start of the seven-year Tribulation upon the earth, which is the topic of the last section of his book. Each of the ten chapters provides compelling arguments favoring our expectation of Jesus’ imminent appearing and together, they form a strong and convincing case.
The presence of so many scoffers of our “blessed hope” makes it imperative that we understand why we believe what we do.
More than that, our hope in Jesus’ appearing is not just dry theology; it is touching our lives in many ways on a daily basis.
Jonathan Brentner, in Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Following Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, shows how our Bible-based beliefs regarding the future intersect with the obstacles and fears we frequently encounter. One chapter deals exclusively on how these truths help us deal with the anxieties that sometimes swell up inside us.
I highly recommend my great friend and colleague’s book that offers tremendous encouragement in these times so near Christ’s Call to believers at that Glorious Moment of Rapture.
Invitation to a Lavish Feast is available on Amazon and on the SkyWatchTV website.
The Final War in Heaven: (Revelation 12:7-12) :: By Bill Salus
(Article taken from The FUTURE WAR Prophecies book by Dr. Bill Salus)
“So it will happen on that day, That the Lord will punish the rebellious angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. (Isaiah 24:21 NASB)
The prophet Isaiah informs that a time is coming when the LORD will punish Satan and his army of fallen angels. This article explains when, why and how this punishment will happen. Let’s start by exploring the details of this war in heaven prophecy.
The Details of the War in Heaven: (Revelation 12:7–12)
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”” (Rev. 12:7-12)
This is the war that serves as a punishing blow to Satan and the rebellious angels. As a result of this war, Satan and his fallen angelic followers are cast down to earth. This future event relocates Satan into his fourth of seven abodes.
The Seven Abodes of Satan
The Bible tells us that Satan, at various points of his career, occupies seven separate addresses.
The First Abode: The Throne of God.
The Second Abode: The Mineral Garden of Eden.
(The first two abodes are to be found in Ezekiel 28:11-15).
The Third Abode: The Atmospheric Heavens – (Ephesians 2:2 and 6:12, 1 John 5:19). Presently, the Devil and his rebellious angels share dual citizenship between earth and heaven.
The Fourth Abode: The Earth – (Rev. 12:7-12). This results from the war in heaven at the midpoint of the Tribulation period.
The Fifth Abode: The Abyss (a.k.a. the Bottomless Pit) – (Rev. 20:1-3). This happens at the beginning of the Millennium.
The Sixth Abode: The Earth Revisited – (Rev. 20:3). This happens at the end of the Millennium and only lasts until the final Gog of Magog battle ends in Rev. 20:7-9.
The Seventh Abode: The Lake of Fire – (Rev. 20:10). Satan gets cast here after losing the battle in #6 above. According to the Bible, this is his final abode.
The Lake of Fire: Satan’s Seventh and Final Abode
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10)
The War in Heaven Happens at the Midpoint of the Tribulation Period
The biblical support for this prophecy finding fulfillment at the midpoint of the Tribulation Period is found in the fact that the event is sandwiched in-between two key timing verses.
“Then the woman, (Representing a believing remnant within Israel), fled into the wilderness, (In order to avoid persecution outsourced from Satan), where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” (Rev. 12:6, NKJV; emphasis added)
“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, (At the midpoint of the Tribulation Period), he persecuted the woman, (Israel), who gave birth to the male Child, (Jesus Christ). But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, (Time = 1 year + Times = 2 years and half a time = ½ year totals 3 ½ years), from the presence of the serpent.” (Rev. 12:13-14, NKJV; emphasis added)
The fleeing of the woman above, who represents the faithful Jewish remnant, into the wilderness happens during the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period. After losing the war in heaven at the midpoint of the Tribulation period, Satan immediately begins his persecution of the woman identified in these above verses.
The timeline below sequences the events in the middle of the Tribulation period in the order that I believe they could happen. As the timeline depicts, in the aftermath of the war in heaven a flurry of powerful prophetic events happen in rapid succession.
1. Satan loses the war in heaven and he and the fallen angels are cast down to earth, (Rev. 12:7-12).
2. The Ten Kings desolate the Harlot World Religion, (Revelation 17:16).
3. The Antichrist dies and gets resurrected, (Rev. 13:3).
4. The Two Witnesses get killed, resurrect and then ascend to heaven, (Rev. 11:7-13).
5. The Abomination of Desolation gets set up in the Third Jewish Temple, (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15).
6. False Covenant gets annulled, (Isaiah 28:18, Daniel 9:27).
7. The Antichrist declares and shows himself as god, in the temple, (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
8. The Antichrist begins genocidal campaign against the Jews, (Zechariah 13:8).
9. The False Prophet emerges, (Rev. 13:11-15).
10. The Mark of the Beast gets implemented, (Rev. 13:16-17).
Satan Loses the War and the Divine Debate
Revelation 12:10b says that Satan, “is the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”
Revelation 12:9 acknowledges that the Devil deceives the whole world, but the brethren in Rev. 12:10 are not falling for his lies. These brethren realize that as per John 14:6, “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.” Rev. 12:11 says they overcome the great dragon’s deceit “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
These details narrow the identity of the “brethren” down to believers. Unbelievers are not covered by the blood of the Lamb, which was shed by Christ at the time of His crucifixion. More specifically, we can zoom closer in on this subset group of believers by understanding that historically, when Satan accuses someone before God, he is addressing a specific individual, someone relevant to the time of the accusation. Some of the examples of this are found in Job 1:6-12, 2:1-6 and Zechariah 3:1-5.
We can also eliminate the believers from the Church Age since those Christians have already been caught up to heaven in the Rapture and, as such it would serve no purpose for Satan to accuse them. The Apostle John states, “the accuser of our brethren,” inferring “our” is the Church and the “brethren” are the believers who get saved after the Church Age ends.
Thus, the brethren of Rev. 12:10 are people who get saved after the Rapture. These overcomers serve as God’s rebuttal to Satan’s campaign of deception. Satan had likely claimed during the Church Age that if he were fully freed from any restraint, he could dupe all of humanity through powerful signs and lying wonders into believing what 2 Thess. 2:11 calls, “The Lie.” The Lie is a designed delusion that overtakes people who deny the truth, alluding to Jesus Christ.
These overcomers serve as a monkey wrench in the Devil’s campaign and they provoke him to become an “accuser of our brethren.” These accusations persist “before our God day and night.” Thus, these brethren are Post-Rapture believers who receive Christ after the restraint upon Satan gets removed.
However, these Post-Rapture believers do not include those who get saved in the final 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period because they come to faith after Satan has already been cast out of heaven at the midpoint of the Tribulation. Satan won’t be able to accuse the believers of the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation before God in heaven because the Devil is gravity bound on earth.
So, it appears that the brethren being accused are those who get saved after the Rapture, but before the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period. They, receiving Christ amidst Satan’s unrestrained deception on earth, conclude the divine debate in heaven. These brethren saw through all the supernatural satanic deception and chose to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior even at the cost of severe persecution and possible martyrdom. Thus, the LORD can rest His case as Satan accusations are all proven baseless.
With the conclusion of the divine debate, Satan’s attempts to overstep God fail.
“For you (Satan) have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14; emphasis added)
Isaiah points out in the next verse that NONE of the five I wills above will happen. Satan will not ascend above the heights of the clouds like the Most High, but he will be sent to the lowest depths of the Bottomless Pit, which is his fifth abode.
“Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.” (Isaiah 14:15)
Having lost the divine debate, there is no longer a point for Satan to be lurking around in heaven and so he needs to leave. Apparently, the Devil doesn’t want to depart voluntarily, but wages a war against Michael the Archangel in a final coup to overthrow God and maintain his residence in his third abode of the atmospheric heavens. Just like Satan loses the Divine Debate in Heaven he also loses the War in Heaven.
Conclusion
The war in heaven begins the rapid downfall of the Devil. He gets temporarily confined in his fourth abode, the earth. Realizing that his time in the fourth abode is short, he unleashes his rage against humanity.
“Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”” (Rev. 12:12)
Then, only 3 ½ years later at the end of the Tribulation Period he gets chained up in his fifth abode, the Bottomless Pit.
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.” (Rev. 20:1-3)
When Satan gets cast out of heaven in Rev. 12:9, he’s not alone, but is accompanied by his rebellious angelic comrades. However, he soon loses his strength and the support of his follower angels. The above passage points out that a single no-name angel single-handedly, apparently without much of a fight, lays hold of the Devil and binds him up with a great chain for 1000 years.
The sequence of events that lead to Satan’s rapid decline are as follows:
1. The restraint upon the Devil gets removed, (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
2. Satan employs supernatural deception to deceive mankind into believing “The Lie,” (2 Thess. 2:9-12).
3. The Brethren, those who get saved after the Rapture, but before the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period, don’t fall for “The Lie,” (Rev. 12:10).
4. Satan has them martyred, (Rev. 6:9-11), through the Harlot World Religion, (Rev. 17:6).
5. Satan is forced to find fault with these brethren in order to justify their martyrdoms.
6. Satan presents his accusations of these murdered Brethren before God and all the angels, good and bad, in the heavenly court, (Rev. 12:10).
7. The Devil’s defense for causing their deaths does not win over God and Satan’s accusations are thereby overruled.
8. Satan wages war against Michael and the good angels to avoid getting permanently evicted from heaven, (Rev. 12:7-8).
9. Michael wins and Satan and his fallen angels get cast down to earth and the doors to heaven are permanently locked to them, preventing their return, (Rev. 12:9).
10. Satan creates woeful conditions for the inhabitants of the earth during the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period, (Rev. 12:12).
11. Jesus Christ returns in His Second Coming and along with His good angels, (Matthew 16:27).
12. One of these good angels, apparently an ordinary angel, binds Satan with a great chain and casts that Devil into the Bottomless Pit for 1000 years, (Rev. 20:1-3).
13. Then, Isaiah 24:21, which was quoted at the start of this chapter and again below, finds final fulfillment.
“So it will happen on that day, That the Lord will punish the rebellious angels of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth.” (Isaiah 24:21, NASB)
The Untaken For Now :: By Constance O. Wyler
Book review by Terry James
The topic of the Rapture and its place in Bible prophecy has of late captured the attention of even the previously uninterested believers and, I’ve noticed, unbelievers as well.
The interest generated by the “Feast of Trumpets” celebration just past, like always on such Jewish days of historical demarcation, raised anticipation of the possibility of that great Eventhappening this year.
It didn’t of course, so there is significant disappointment and even crises of Faith as a result.
Despite that disappointment, however, make no mistake. The Rapture will happen…I believe much sooner than anyone thinks.
Constance O Wyler has captured the Biblical Truth of that coming Event in her masterfully written novel series. I urge all who want to get a sense of what the Rapture will mean to believers and to unbelievers to get this latest volume.
The Untaken series by Constance O Wyler consists of four books that not only cover the first twelve hours after the Rapture, but also twelve days, twelve weeks, and twelve months.
Written in first person from different perspectives, the series shows how traumatic and heartbreaking it will be to be “untaken” or left behind after the Rapture. While the first book deals with Sarah Colton wanting an abortion and then all children, including those in the womb, disappear, the second book deep-dives into an AI implant that wants to control Sarah. The third and fourth books have Sarah meeting a young computer hacker who lives on a large cattle ranch in Idaho, while everything changes for the worse. When the Antichrist establishes a seven-year treaty with Israel, Sarah and her friends yearn to stop being under constant surveillance and learn how to survive the first year after the Biblical event that will alter the world.
All four books focus on how important it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, hopefully before the Rapture occurs. The eternal plan of salvation is clearly explained in each book as the characters make a decision to follow Christ or not.
Wyler’s fourth and final book, UNTAKEN FOR NOW, was recently released, and it will, I believe, excite believers in Christ’s promise to rapture them and cause unbelievers to seriously consider their need to come to Jesus Christ for salvation. This series is a truly God-sent story for these end days.
NOTE:
Book 1 is always FREE as an EBOOK, while Books 1, 2, and 3 are currently on sale as ebooks.
Book 4 ~ UNTAKEN, FOR NOW: 12 Months Following the Rapture, is on SALE as an ebook for only $2.99 until October 10th and all print/ebook online links are at https://books2read.com/untakenfornow.
An Unexpected Journey :: By Jan Markell
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Why the Rapture Must Happen
Much has been discussed and written about speculation leading up to this calendar date. That the Rapture must happen during this year’s Jewish Feast of Trumpets observation is the central subject of the frenzied conversation.
To be honest, I’ve not looked very deeply into the Feast of Trumpets, as to its meaning and all attendant to it. I do have a general working knowledge of that tradition and others held by the Orthodox Jewish community but have come to believe and accept that the Rapture is not linked to any Jewish day of observation, so far as its timing is concerned.
Some scholars of the Jewish holy days say the Feast of Trumpets this year was to be September 16–17, not September 23–24. But here we are, at this posting, on September 22.
I would love, despite my skepticism, for the speculation that the Rapture will happen at this time to be correct. I, like most of us who believe the pre-Trib Rapture to be the correct view from what the Apostle Paul and Jesus, Himself, have said, am always “looking up” (Luke 21:28) and “looking for the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). We are “watching” (Mark 13:37). We believe the Rapture can happen at any moment. It is imminent.
So, do I believe it can happen on September 23 or 24 of 2025? Absolutely. I believe it can happen on this much-talked-about date.
Do I believe it definitely will take place on this date? No, I do not. It could happen as I’m writing this almost a week earlier!
If the Rapture does occur on the date being speculated by many, then it will make no difference to believers who have been raptured about whether it happened on the date predicted other than that we will be celebrating eternal, joyous bliss! But if it doesn’t happen on that date, I’m concerned that the faith of some will be shaken.
This has always been the deleterious result of past date-settings regarding the Rapture. Many have gone into deep crises of faith in God’s promises over such failures.
So, with that as a preface, I’d like to examine why it is necessary for God to Rapture the saints of this Church Age—why He will be true to His Word and will do so, I believe, very soon.
The tremendous ramping-up of evil taking place today as humanity proceeds farther toward God’s judgment against sin and rebellion is most relevant to the premise implicit in the title of this commentary: “Why the Rapture Must Happen.”
When looking at the black-and-white films the Allies shot within the Nazi death camps following victory over Adolf Hitler’s Germany in World War II, it’s difficult to comprehend that level of evil. The images of walking skeletons that were the Jewish “survivors” of those camps remain etched in the memory of anyone who has seen those videos.
Upon viewing those films, one instinctively senses that there must be eternal punishment for anyone who perpetrates such absolute evil.
The same level of pictorial record doesn’t exist for the genocidal rampages inflicted on their own people by Josef Stalin, Mao Tse-tung, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, and the murderers of the other despotic regimes in modern times. However, eyewitness accounts and some photographic evidence make it hard to fathom that those beastly tyrants were restrained in their butchery.
The Bible nonetheless bears witness that God the Holy Spirit governs the human conscience. In biblically prophetic terms, this is most evident in Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians:
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:7–8)
Paul was saying here that evil was at work in a big way even at the time he was writing the letter. Still, the Holy Spirit was then “restraining” and would continue to hold back that evil until the Holy Spirit withdraws as the Restrainer of evil. Then all hell will break loose as the Antichrist is revealed. The spirit of Antichrist is already present in the world—and was manifest even during John’s day (read 1 John 4:1–3). The mystery of iniquity about which Paul prophesied and this spirit of Antichrist are interlinked in the ancient web of lawlessness we call evil.
Jesus told what will happen once the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) withdraws from governing the wickedness in the hearts and minds of people of the post-Rapture world:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
The Lord said just how bad things would become:
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:22)
God will shorten the days of the great Tribulation, because if He were to let things go on to their conclusion, without the return of Christ, every being of flesh and blood on the planet would be destroyed. Such is the mystery of iniquity that exists today, and it will become exponentially worse once the restraint of evil is no longer in place. Then, the ultimately evolved man—as evolution would have it—will step to the forefront of fallen human history. Antichrist will inflict horrors on the people of earth in ways Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and the rest of history’s madmen could not have even imagined. His regime will be the most bloodthirsty of all time.
Lawlessness is everywhere we look. Whether considering the Middle East and the unspeakable evil of satanic forces like Hamas, the absolute wickedness of mutilating children fostered by the trans movement, or America and the devil-inspired anti-Semitism of youth groups indoctrinated by US universities, the “mystery of iniquity” is swelling like a great caldera that is about to explode across the world.
Evidence of the growing global lawlessness is compiled hourly through reports like the following:
As recent as 2019, The Economist’s Safe City Index placed Amsterdam at the top in Europe and fourth worldwide, behind only Tokyo, Singapore, and Osaka, but a new debate hosted by local broadcaster AT5 has revealed that seven in ten panel members avoid certain parts of the city because they now feel unsafe.
That figure rises to 85 percent among women, while half of the women surveyed reported experiencing some form of harassment, with some subjected to intimidation, being followed, or assault.
The issue has gained urgency after several high-profile crimes, including the murders of two 17-year-olds, Rivaldo, shot dead on a soccer field, and Lisa, who was brutally murdered by a 22-year-old asylum seeker as she cycled home. Multiple sexual assaults have also rocked the city in recent weeks, and police were on high alert after recording three explosions in five days last week.
Headlines at the time read: explosions-rock-amsterdam-as-dutch-capital-continues-to-reel-from-recent-teen-girl-allegedly-murdered-by-asylum-seeker. (“Amsterdam used to be the safest city in Europe; now a majority of its citizens are afraid to go out at night,” Rapture Ready News, September 12, 2025)
The youth, guilty of most of such lawlessness in inner cities across the world, have been taught by cultural inculcation that they have been held down by the affluent, so their actions are justified. The inference is that it is no more than simply Robin Hood robbing the evil sheriff of Nottingham.
Can there be much doubt that if they commit such bold acts now, then when the Holy Spirit is no longer restraining such evil thinking and actions, even America will quickly become a hellish existence in which anything goes?
It is almost as if the US federal governmental powers-that-be have taken Paul’s 2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 passage to heart. It seems they anticipate a time when draconian measures will be necessary to restrain the evil that is coming. Antichrist’s restraint will be even more draconian, but his own evil will far surpass all other iniquity of history, the Bible says.
Judgment of such rebelliousness awaits implementation by the God who must bring back the righteousness lost in Eden. Our Holy Heavenly Father is the only One who can cleanse humanity of this satanic infection called sin.
Only those who are born again through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ–God’s Son who has taken away the sins of the world—are not subject to God’s judgment of those left behind at the Rapture.
This is the purpose of the Rapture: to rescue all who are in God’s family through belief in Jesus. We are “not appointed to wrath,” which the world of left-behind rebels is about to experience during the Tribulation (Revelation 3:10).
God must remove all who are righteous and all those who have died while in Christ’s saving grace before His judgment and wrath must begin cleansing this fallen world. He will then, again, begin dealing with His chosen nation, Israel, to bring a remnant to accept their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus will return to the planet’s surface, destroy all enemies of God, and set up His Millennial Kingdom.
Ultimately, God will purge all sin, bringing humankind and all of creation back to the perfection that was lost when iniquity was found in Lucifer, and when sin and death entered through Adam’s disobedience.
It will all begin with the Rapture of the Church, which has been being constructed by the Lord Jesus since His death, burial and Resurrection, and His sending the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
This is why the Rapture must happen. Here is how to be sure you go to the Lord Jesus and be rescued from the coming judgment and wrath:
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)
Be Like Noah – By Jeffrey Hauck
As a believer I understand that the ‘last days’ would be like the days of Noah and of Lot (Luke 17:26-29). It seems that it’s becoming more apparent for Christians today. On the surface, this warning has always provided proof that Jesus will return in the clouds for his church at a time that is not expected by the unbelieving world. The flood had come after 100 years of warning and faithful building by Noah and his family. Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes and ruin in 1 day, following an attack on Lot’s home. People were going about their normal lives with eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building. Then suddenly, they were destroyed.
But now, I believe we can see more clearly the underlying culture that Jesus warned about that would be present at the time of his return. Looking at the times of Noah and Lot (remember, they lived over 500 years apart from each other) we can see much evidence of overt wickedness throughout the chapters of Genesis 6,18, and 19. In Noah’s time, we learn that the daughters of men had ‘relations’ with the Sons of God. People’s hearts were always full of evil, and the earth was filled with violence.
With the case of Lot, homosexual men surrounded his house, demanding he give the ‘men’ in his house. Before this time, Lot had to be rescued by Abraham after the battle of 5 vs 4 kings over possessions and food supplies. What becomes clear is that cultures that have every need satisfied, yet they wipe their mouths, look around and try to fill their insatiable appetite for evil, while despising authority. Those generations met their sudden destruction, as will ours.
Let’s compare our generation. There are many aspects of our culture that have been captured wonderfully by many writers for Rapture Ready. I will just mention a couple. In our own nation we’ve seen the drastic decline of Christianity since the 1960s, following the removal of the Bible from public schools. Since then we’ve seen the proliferation of false religions, sexual deviancy, violence and broken families. It’s heart breaking for believers to watch our nation fall, to see gleeful celebration of martyred Christians, attempted murder and murder of righteous leaders. It’s so sad to watch lawlessness overcome our cities and others. Recently, Australia passed the Conversion Practices Ban Act that bans prayers aimed at changing or suppressing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. 2 Timothy 3:13b comes to mind, concerning the last days. “..while evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves.”
What we are witnessing today is only going to get worse. Birth pains are increasing as we were warned by our Savior in Matthew 24.
How should we be?
We understand that Jesus will come and rescue our generation, not Abraham nor angels. But how should we be in the meantime? Let’s look again at the generations of Noah and Lot and how they acted. I suspect there will be a better role model between the two.
Let’s start with Lot. When Abraham and Lot were going their separate ways, Abraham told Lot to choose first. He chose the plains of the Jordan because they were watered and apparently bustling with business. We see him sitting at the gate of Sodom when the 2 angels come to investigate. He has some authority. And with his authority he offers his daughters to appease the vicious mob that want the 2 new ‘men’ (angels) in town. When warned to leave the city immediately, Lot hits the snooze alarm in the morning and negotiates with the angels about how far he must go to protect himself and his family. And let’s not forget Lot’s wife who aimed to preserve her own life and lost it. (Luke 17:32,33). I won’t even mention what happened with Lot and his daughters, afterward. Lot did not make the Hall of the Faithfull in Hebrews 11. But he is still declared a righteous man because he was distressed by the debauchery of those unprincipled people. (2 Peter 2:7,8). The fact of the matter is if God choses you and you respond, there is nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus. Romans 8:35. Praise God! I can not give God enough thanks for his tender mercies.
Let’s look at Noah’s example. He was immersed in a severely, unholy culture. Looking through Genesis 6,7,8 and 9, we see a man who walked with God despite the earth filled with corruption and violence. God asked him to complete a task that was devoid of common sense and would take about 100 years to complete. He would have been mocked and possibly attacked by his peers. But he led his family faithfully. Not one of his peers befriended or trusted him.
Due to Noah’s faithfulness, he and his family were delivered while the rest of the world was destroyed. God blessed Noah following the flood and he had domain over all the creatures of the earth. Was Noah perfect? No. But he did make the Hall of the Faithful in Hebrews 11.
What can we take from these two righteous examples submerged in a culture that has outright disgust for all things ethical, honorable or decent? Let’s not use our authority to appease the wicked or put ourselves in situations where we need a rescue. Let’s stand our ground but not try to preserve our own lives. We go and do as the Spirit leads us. It won’t be violent. Noah did not use violence in his violent culture. But we can be sure he did not back down from his mission.
Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13 says “a sinner can do evil a hundred times and still live a long life; although I know that in the end things will go well with those who fear God because they fear him. But things will not go well with the wicked..”
We’ve seen this scenario play out many times throughout the Bible. And it’s playing out right now. Let’s keep our noses to the grindstone not giving ground to the enemy but giving a reason for our hope at each opportunity. A flood is coming soon.
Maranatha!
Jeff Hauck
jeffreyjhauck@yahoo.com
The Rapture Paradox
A woman from the Netherlands who years ago was a frequent visitor to www.raptureready.com once proposed we address a troubling thought she lived with as a Christian. It is a paradox I believe many Christians who look for Christ to come for believers in the Rapture have considered, at least to some extent.
The writer those years ago sent an article about the growing Islamic population in Europe and the threat Islam represents not only to Israel, but to the rest of the world that is not Islamic. She recognized that Israel being at the center of world controversy indicates the lateness of the hour, prophetically speaking. She put it this way in her email:
Every time I see these articles, I am on one hand horrified at the treatment of the Jewish people but on the other hand full of anticipation as I know that with each event that pushes the Jewish people back to their homeland of Israel, the closer the Rapture is for Christians. I do feel badly that I am excited for the Rapture though as I know what that means for those that will be left behind… Should we be as excited as I am to know that we can (I believe “will”) be raptured any second? I know this gives me an urgency to share the gospel with friends and neighbors, but I still always feel guilty for the anticipation and excitement I get when I see the current events played out daily.
This dichotomy within the believer’s thinking is, I believe, not unusual for those who truly look for Christ’s any-moment call as prophesied by Paul the apostle:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)
Christians who believe the pre-Tribulation Rapture is truth from God’s Word yearn—without need to apologize—for the blessed hope that is found in Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). At the same time, they know that when that call from their Lord comes, those left behind will soon endure a time of horror, about which the Lord Himself said:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
Those left behind will, the Christian knows, include perhaps close friends and beloved family members. So, the paradox of wanting the Rapture to take place, and at the same time dreading it for those who will stay on this planet to endure God’s judgment and wrath is, to some, troubling.
The article this writer sent with her email those years ago encapsulates just a small part of the building evil the Lord of Heaven will judge with His righteous wrath. The matters the article involved point to the satanic rage represented within Islam, the number-one Israel-hating entity on the planet. Hatred for Israel, and the desire of the international community to force the Jewish state to divide the tiny portion of its God-given land to come up with a formula for peace with its Islamic neighbors, will lead to Armageddon, God’s Word says:
For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. (Joel 3:2)
The article the emailer sent contained a speech by Geert Wilders, a Dutch member of Parliament for the Netherlands. He synopsized with stunning description how Israel’s Islamic enemy was systematically infecting Europe, thus threatening world stability—or what little of it that remains.
Wilders, who was chairman of the Party for Freedom, the Netherlands, spoke at the Four Seasons, New York, introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem. He announced that Europe was in dire straits as it was undergoing Islamization. America and the world, he warned, faced the same fate as Europe if the threat wasn’t confronted and defeated everywhere it exists.
Wilders said that entire city sections throughout Europe were taken over by Islamics one street at a time. Local governments and police forces were often so intimidated that they dared not go into those areas to govern. Women, treated no better than slaves, according to the speaker, were covered from head to toe in tent-like attire, sharia law took precedence, and women in sections of the cities not part of the Islamic communities more and more were hearing hate-filled shouts of “Whore!” from those of the Islamic populations. (http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wilders.asp)
That news report was from a decade and a half ago. Today the Wilders prediction is manifest in hourly news reports while American cities and states such as Texas are experiencing what can only be described in my view as an Islamic invasion.
In 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a confidential memorandum that outlined the strategy for the group in North America. It details a plan for the “Enablement of Islam in North America,” understood as “establishing an effective and a stable Islamic Movement led by the Muslim Brotherhood which adopts Muslims’ causes domestically and globally, and which works to expand the observant Muslim base, aims at unifying and directing Muslims’ efforts, presents Islam as a civilization alternative, and supports the global Islamic State wherever it is.”…
The aim of Islamists is not integration into our society, nor to isolate themselves within their own enclaves, but rather to energetically integrate America into Islamist culture. Far from a Muslim “Benedict Option,” the Islamist strategy is political and confrontational…
Islamists oppose the American sense of nationhood and form of government and seek to replace constitutional and national governments with the global Islamic state…
The digital age means the annihilation of distance. Thanks to the internet, Islam’s reach and networks have globalized. Immigrants talk regularly with relatives on the other side of the world and establish international revenue streams. This new technology presents Islamists with an opportunity they never enjoyed a hundred years ago. Those advocating for stricter Islamic practices can use the power of digital connections to reach and reeducate Muslims around the world. Videos from conflicts in far-off places can be broadcast instantly to millions of Muslims in the West, encouraging them to see themselves as participants in the same struggle. The 1991 memorandum indicates how Islamists exploit this situation by encouraging Muslims to think of themselves not as members of a Western polity but as internationally interconnected engineers who are building one global Islamic state. Islamists will not permit Muslims to blend into America’s purported melting pot. (“The Islamist Threat to American Communities,” Nathan Pinkoski, May 7, 2025)
Israel and its being targeted for extinction by Islam, which has infected so much of the American radical leftist anti-Semite insanity with hatred, is the sure sign that the Tribulation is in view. The Rapture of the Church is, therefore, an event that must be very near to occurring indeed. That being the obvious case, what should be the Christian’s foremost priority? The answer is that it should not be considered a paradox for the believer, but an exhortation, a call to duty.
There is nothing anyone can do to hurry or delay the coming of Christ for His saints in the Rapture. The timing of that great event is out of our hands. Therefore, longing for the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) to rescue us from the terrible time to come (Revelation 3:10) doesn’t conflict with our concern and compassion for those who will be left behind if they don’t come to Christ for salvation. It is time for those who name the name of Christ to recognize the lateness of the prophetic hour; witness to those around us of the truth that Jesus Christ is the one and only Way to salvation; and live in such a way that we can earn our Lord’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Promise of His Coming
Author’s note: The article for this week was first posted Monday, September 20, 2010. My reason for reposting it this week might seem rather unusual–perhaps even odd.
Let me explain.
Upon awakening early the other day, as is my usual way, the first moments of clarity came to me out of nowhere and wouldn’t leave.
The thought was that I had been saved at the age of six. Since I was born in 1942, that made the year I was born again 1948.
The thought wouldn’t leave. I was “born again” the same year–1948—Israel was “reborn” as a nation into modernity.
Somehow that all congealed into the need to write or find an article I had written on the importance of the rebirth of God’s chosen people, Israel, to the nearness of the Rapture.
Researching my personal article archives led me to the following.
Promise of His Coming
A biblically prophetic reality that perfectly fits our present day, and that has been looked at a number of times, is the warning given by the Apostle Peter especially to the generation alive at the end of the Church Age:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3–4)
In almost every case of looking at this prophecy, the point has been exclusively dwelt upon that both the religious and nonreligious of the world mockingly chide those of us who believe Jesus Christ will return to the earth. This prophecy has observably come to pass in our time.
However, it is the phrase “promise of his coming” I would like to consider here.
Like the 2 Peter 3:3–4 prophecy, so many other things developing in these troubling although exciting times testify mightily to the evidence that God absolutely keeps His Word. Scripture promises, for example, that ultimately, no matter how scattered and oppressed the Jewish people have been throughout history, Israel will be a nation forever.
Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking my covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 26:44–45)
Israel was restored to the land after centuries of the people being removed from their own land and being persecuted unmercifully in the nations to which they were scattered. They were regathered and established again as a nation in a single day, just as foretold.
Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. “Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?” saith the LORD: “shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb?” saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her. (Isaiah 66:8–10)
That miracle rebirth took place May 14, 1948, following perhaps the house of Israel’s most horrendous persecution—that suffered under the Nazis. No other nation has been so torn apart and scattered to the winds of history, then regathered, having its original language restored. The Lord proved He alone is God. His promise to Israel goes into the future for His chosen people:
“Also I will restore the captivity of my people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them,” says the Lord your God. (Amos 9:14–15)
Israel’s God is God! There is no other God. He continues to prove who He is through Israel. This, doubtless, is one extremely important reason He chose that people: to demonstrate the absolute veracity of His Holy Word. That same Word—who is the very Person of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1: 1)—has made a promise of staggering importance to His other chosen people.
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)
His coming again for God’s other chosen people–the Church (every born-again member of Christ’s body during this Age of Grace)—is assured. It is 100 percent certain, because He continues to prove His faithfulness through the nation Israel and by keeping every prophetic promise He has made.
Jesus tells us who constitutes His chosen Bride:
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
He promises:
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)
Jesus is coming. It could be the very next moment!
Terry James Prophecy Line 