TIME
Whilst I was meditating on the Garden of Eden where everything was made perfect and pure, I noticed something, time wasn’t a factor in the Garden. Adam was made out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7) and Eve was made from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21), no where in the text does it give the age of both Adam or Eve. In fact, we are not aware of how long they were in the Garden of Eden for, nor at the point of when the Serpent/Satan deceived Eve.
Have you ever wondered why Satan spoke to Eve first? When you study the scriptures - there is no mention of God speaking with Eve about the forbidden tree. In actuality, God told Adam before He made Eve not to eat of the fruit of the tree (Genesis 2:16-17). When they fell into sin, it wasn’t Eve that God called to, it was Adam (Genesis 3:9). He only spoke with Eve when Adam apportioned blame to her.
Could it be that Adam told Eve of the forbidden fruit and she made an assumption that she couldn’t touch it? Notice the serpent doesn’t speak to Adam at all. Could it be that the Devil didn’t try to deceive Adam because he knew God’s word? Adam spoke with God daily - there was a relationship. We don’t see anything in the scriptures to state that Eve had a close relationship with the Lord or even spoke with her other than when God turned to question her on “what she had done” (Genesis 3:13). Could it be that is why she was muddled in her knowledge of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:3), and Satan saw an opportunity to deceive her, because she wasn’t sure of the Lord’s words?
It is after they left the Garden, we see time started for Mankind. We are only aware of Adam and Eve’s ages when they have Seth (replacement of Abel), there is no mention of their ages prior to Seth being born (Genesis 5:3).
REST
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). As we know God created the earth in 6 days and rested on the seventh day. After the Israelites journeyed out of Egypt, they camped at Mount Sinai where God met Moses. He gave him various instructions and laws, we see in Exodus that God refers to the Israelites to keep the Sabbath ( Exodus 20:8-11), He then expands further on the Sabbath laws throughout The Pentateuch, here is one example; Exodus 23:10 “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.”
The Sabbath attributes not just to the creation of the world and “God resting on the seventh day,” it is about “a rest for the people of God” Hebrews 4:9.
Have you ever thought about the world and how “rest” will relate to us today? In 2nd Peter 3:8 it says “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Therefore, if we say that time between Adam and Jesus’ birth is approximately 4000 years and Jesus to present day is approximately 2000 years ago, that’ll mean mankind has been on this earth for a total of approximately 6000 years.
Since the fall of man, God has been working to draw his children back to Him. As it says in 2nd Peter 3, he is not being slack but is long suffering. So, if we are saying that mankind has been on earth for 6000 years, and we know that God only worked for six days and rested on the seventh day, doesn’t that mean we are closely coming to the time when He and His people enters into His rest? In Revelation 20:1-6 AMP it talks about the millennium reign, which happens after the seven year tribulation.
Let’s think about this, if we have been in the world for approximately 6000 years, and the millennium reign is the 7000th year, wouldn’t you agree that we are in the last days, and the coming judgement on the world is fast approaching?
THE LAST DAYS
Jesus describes in Luke 21 what the last days will be like, he said “there will be wars and rumours of wars,” “nations will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” We are seeing this now with the Ukraine & Russia war, Israel and Hamas, and possibly Taiwan and China (other wars that is happening right now but has not made it to the mainstream news). At this moment we are seeing on our news a possibility of World War 3!
Jesus went onto say in Luke 21 “there will be earthquakes in various places.” Just in the last four days alone there has been several earthquakes in Venezuela, India, Japan, California, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and the list goes on; that is just in the last four days!
He went onto say “there will be famine.” Now, we know there is a huge global crisis on food/hunger right now. We know of hunger cases right here in the UK, a population struggling to feed their children - the rise in food crisis is being reported in the news, something we see is happening across the world.
Jesus mentioned in the same text, about pestilences. The world just in the last four years was in a global lockdown, something that was unprecedented - we never thought we would see in our lifetime. Today, there are still reports of Covid cases. Other diseases, just in 2024, Avian Influenza found in Mexico, Oropouche virus found in Cuba, Respiratory Syricytial virus and Ecoli outbreak in the UK, a new dangerous strain of Monkey pox found in Congo; the outbreaks of diseases are endless and it is happening across the world.
He also mentioned “fearful sights and great signs in heaven.” How many people have you heard on the news outlets or read sightings of aliens (these are just demonic manifestations) or how the weather has changed exponentially over the years. The weather is not getting any better, it’s getting worse - just a couple of weeks ago we were experiencing wintry weather, now we are experiencing scorching heat and hearing news reports of people dying. Antarctica is losing ice mass at a rapid rate. There are flash floods in various countries around the world.
You may have said this or heard other people say this “the world has gone mad” no one can explain what is happening in the world right now, but Jesus described the above in Luke 21 and he called this in Matthew 24 the “beginning of sorrows.” The world is crying out for peace!
He informs us that Christian’s will be persecuted for His namesake, which we have been seeing and will continue to see. “Many will be offended, will betray one another and hate one another.” People are so easily offended now, you can’t share your opinion on something without people turning on you, cancel culture or even losing your job - there is a fear of speaking up due to people being so easily offended.
Jesus talks about “lawlessness abounding.” What is Lawlessness? It is anarchy; chaos; unrest; turmoil; strife; turbulence; everything that is listed is what we are experiencing in our world today and it will only get worse. In the same text of Matthew 24, Christ goes on to say “the love of many will grow cold.” No one has respect or values human life anymore, violent crimes against another is being reported daily and there are further increases in death rates, because the love/respect/value that was once in people has now gone cold.
Friends, all that Jesus described is happening before our very eyes - Christ is coming back!
RAPTURE
Revelation 3:10-11 “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
One thing is for sure, God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19), nor does His words return back void (Isaiah 55:11). Meaning if Jesus is going to keep us from the “trial that will come upon the whole earth,” this tells me that He will save those that He has chosen as His own, from the coming tribulation that will come upon the World.
Matthew 22:14 “for many are called, but few are chosen.” I believe that so many are called by God, but the “many” are still willing to hold onto the things of the world, and continue in their fleshly lifestyle or being distracted by earthly things, that is why a “few are chosen.” Those that are chosen have recognised the cost and are still willing to give up everything for His namesake!
Have you noticed when you read throughout the Bible, those that walked closely with the Lord, He shared secrets with them? He says in John 15:14-15 “you are My friend if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Those in the Bible who walked closely with the Lord were deemed worthy, they were a minority in comparison to those who thought they knew the Lord, but still wanted to worship idols. Today, there are chosen people amongst the church, who understands the cost of what it means to sacrifice everything and live for the Lord, and there are those who think the ones making the sacrifice are “doing too much” and continue to keep living for the fleshly desires of this world. My constant prayer is that I am counted worthy to be deemed chosen. Jesus says in Luke 21:34-36 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Therefore, keep watch and look up, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-9 “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What will the Rapture be like? Well, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 describes it will be like this “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
So, what will “the trumpet of God” sound like? I believe this is described in Exodus 19:16-17 & 19 “Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. (19)And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.” Did you notice Moses went to Him, but the Israelites were frightened? I’m not saying all people will hear the trumpet of God however, when Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, it was described in Acts 22 that there were people with Paul at the time. They saw the light from heaven which shone around Paul, they were afraid of the light, but did not hear the voice of Christ. Likewise in John 12:27, Christ speaks to his Father in Heaven and He responds back. There were people with Jesus at the time, some thought they heard thunder, others thought an angel spoke.
I say all of this to say, I believe those who are not chosen will not hear the trumpet of God and therefore, will not be raptured. I do believe at the time of the trumpet call, there will be thunder and lightning - those who are left behind will be fearful of that sound, but they will not realise what it is until people they know are gone.
I leave you on this note from our brother Paul in his letter to the church of Thessalonica, 2nd Thessalonians 1:5-12 “which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
TIME IS ALMOST UP
Time is running out, Christ is coming back, don’t delay get your heart right with Him! To those who say they know the Lord, but deep down you know you are not yet ready for the Majesty’s return because you are distracted by your every day living - change your mindset and start to live everyday like He could be returning any day. Be ready, look up and pray that you are deemed worthy for God to take you home! Amen! X