As humorous as this joke is, its' concept is unfortunately true. Society as a whole is not heeding the signs of the coming of the Lord for His Church. Jesus said no one but God the Father knows the day or the hour when our redemption, the Rapture, will occur. But He did tell us there would be signs to let us know that His coming for us is near:

"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)

Take special notice that Jesus said when these signs "begin" to occur the Rapture is near. Many of these signs are already taking place in the world right now:

As shown in the last commentary, Israel is threatened with division to make a Palestinian state, in direct contradiction to the Divine deed of land from God to Abraham; we have the continued rise to power of the 'revived Roman empire' in the form of the European Union; the current ‘powers that be' within the E.U. made sure that the final draft of their constitution makes no mention of God or Jesus; pestilence in the form of AIDS, SARS, Ebola and West Nile continue with no innoculation or cure in sight; not since the time of Noah, terrorism continues to increase on a global scale; and, more countries than ever before possess or are attempting to develop nuclear weapons.

Jesus is about to return for His Church; those who have received Him as their Lord and Savior. He will take them to Heaven before the Antichrist rises to power:

"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 14:3)

The unsaved will be left on earth to endure the Antichrist during Tribulation. But how do we know that the Antichrist cannot rise to power until the Church is removed from the earth? From the following verses which we shall explore:

"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..." (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8a)

"And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:10)

Notice first, that we're dealing with two separate groups: Those who are "taken out of the way", and those who "received not the love of the truth that they might be saved."

What is the truth? I'm glad you asked:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

The truth is none other than Jesus, Himself. So, those unrighteous one's of 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 were not part of the Church because they "received not the love of the truth that they might be saved."

The original Greek word in the Bible for "letteth" in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is ‘katecho', which means to ‘hold down', or ‘to restrain'. So "that Wicked" of 2 Thessalonians 2:8, the Antichrist, cannot rise to power until the restrainer is "taken out of the way" by those who don't perish like those of 2 Thessalonians 2:10. And only Christians, the Church, will not perish:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Therefore the restrainer, the Church, is "taken out of the way", raptured, before the Antichrist can rise to power and dominate the world!

If Jesus is your Lord and Savior you should be reading the signs of His coming for His Church. Don't be headed at full speed toward a gorge where the bridge is out.

If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior but would like to, please visit our Salvation page.

Keith

07-31-2003