Swift as Lightning
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Yeshua
our Savior said that
His return would be as lightning. |
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Matthew
24:27 What did He mean? |
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As we mentioned in Time for the Rescue, Jesus said that He would come as a thief. A thief comes to steal, and he does it in a quick fashion, to avoid being caught and to secure success in his attempt of stealing. He also comes when nobody expects it. The word RAPTURE comes from the Latin RAPTUS which means to abduct, carry away, kidnap.
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Matthew
24:43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Matthew 24:44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. |
Jesus, in a similar way, comes to steal what Satan thinks is part of his possession -- humans.
For us, this is the rescue we are awaiting, but for the Devil this is the beginning of the battle for planet Earth.
For Yeshua to be able to accomplish His rapture / rescue operation, He needs to do it as quickly as possible -- like a flash of lightning.
Jesus also said:
Luke
17:30
The
same way it will be on that day when the son of man is to be revealed.
Luke
17:31
On
that day let the person that is on the house top but whose valuable things
[jewels] are in
the house not come down to pick these up, and the person out in the
field, let him likewise not return to the things behind.
The reason Yeshua our Savior is saying these words is that there is no time to waste!
Look at the examples he gives us:
Luke
17:26
And just as it happened in the days of Noah,
so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
Matthew
24:37
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of
Noah.
Noah was already mentally prepared to leave everything and everybody behind and enter into the ark at the time God would tell him.
It is a fact that Noah's grandfather died the year of the flood, and Noah's father had died 5 years before. Noah's other relatives, excepting his wife, 3 sons, and the wives of his 3 sons, were left behind.... to perish in the flood.
Luke
17:28
… Likewise just as it occurred
in the days of Lot.
What happened the day Lot was rescued out of Sodom?
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angels told Lot they were going to destroy the city and that they would save Lot
and everyone he had in the city. What did Lot do? He delayed,
delayed, delayed! Read the whole story for yourself. If it were not that the angels literally took Lot and his wife and his two daughters out of the city, Lot would have perished inside that sinful place. |
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What was
the reason for his delay?
He was
not mentally prepared to leave everyone behind him.
It is very possible Lot had also sons and other daughters besides the two daughters mentioned that lived under his roof. It is very possible that he tried to convince these sons and daughters to leave. It is written that Lot failed in convincing his two daughters' fiancées.
Lot's wife serves as an example of what can happen if we are not ready to go with God.
Unlike Lot, Noah was a man of God, perfect in his generations.
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Noah was ready to go with God; he had spent 100 years in building the very vehicle that would preserve him. Noah knew the Ark was the vehicle of salvation and God had guided him in its construction. He was not lacking faith. Lot, on the other hand, lived in Sodom somewhat oblivious to the city's corruption, similar to someone who lives in New York. He did not partake himself in the many sinful acts, but did nothing to separate himself or his family from them.
Lot was surprised and taken aback by the arrival of God's angels. He was apparently not accustomed to communication with holy supernatural beings, much like most people today. However, God gave him, as he will give us, an opportunity to escape death. Lot was hesitant because he was not mentally prepared to make that decision. Lot was a wealthy man with a family. What would he do with his possessions? In the same manner, what would you do? Could you leave everything right now?
We must take heed to Jesus' warning and not delay when He appears. When the angels come, it will seem to many people like it is a dream. They might just do nothing and become spectators thinking that they are dreaming. Word of warning: even if it seems like a dream, you have to act. An example is 9/11. When I saw the news on TV about the first plane hitting the building, I thought it was not real. When I saw the second plane hit the next building, I thought I was in a dream.
Most people just stood and watched. Nobody landed a helicopter on the roof of the building to rescue people. Nobody sprayed water from helicopters on the fire. People stayed inside tower two for forty minutes before it collapsed. It was a lack of action that caused many of the deaths.
What should you do?
Learn from this example the Bible gives us:
| Acts 12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up QUICKLY." And his chains fell off his hands. Acts 12:8 And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And HE DID SO. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." |
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Acts 12:9
And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
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Acts 12:10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. Acts 12:11 When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and RESCUED me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." |
Peter acted. He quickly left with the angel who took him to safety.
In a similar manner to Peter's angelic rescue, when God sends His angels to rapture us, the event will seem to be unreal. Act at that time the way you are supposed to act. If you think it's a dream and do not move rapidly and follow the angel's orders, you may be LEFT BEHIND!
Matthew 24:31
He will send forth his angels with a
great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
The second exodus out of this Earth will be swift as lightning. That is the reason we are sounding this alarm. You must be mentally prepared for your travel. You will have to make a quick decision. God will not decide for you.
Peter
and Noah did not hesitate, but did what God told them. May God
give you the strength and the faith of Noah.
