 Today's program is one of great importance. I want to zero in a little bit on this depopulation. What is it talking about? What could be the signaling event of depopulation that could perhaps in the minds of many people solve the issues of taking too much of the energy off of this Earth? Well, I believe it very well could be the event that is a signless event as recorded in the Scripture for every Christian, for every believer on this planet, both those dead and living, of great expectation. It's referred to in the Christian realm as the rapture. Very soon, I believe, one day, you'll hear the announcement that will be made across the world. We interrupt this broadcast. I can tell you that is chilling words as a child when I was growing up seeing that kind of announcement come across the television. And they may say, we interrupt this broadcast to bring you up breaking news. Millions of people are missing around the world. And an unexplained disappearance. Clothes are left on the ground. Daycares are emptied as parents run frantically to find their children. Thousands and tens of thousands of accidents, falling from the sky with Christian pilots behind them. I know this may seem somewhat strange to be able to hear for some people that are not having an understanding of what the Bible has to say concerning the return of Jesus Christ. But I can tell you widespread fear and panic will take over as people will try to find their family members and their friends. Cell phone lines will light up as people attempt to find people who have surrendered their life to Jesus Christ and in a moment have vanished. This is never more real to me than a number of years ago when Hurricane Opal came through the area. I was pastoring at the time in Destin, Florida and we had gone into Fort Walton for a little bit safer location as they were evacuating the Destin area because of the hit from Hurricane Opal that was potentially to come. And the hurricane came through and as soon as the roads were open, I made my track on the long way around through the area of Niceville over across the bridge and when I came into the city of Destin, it was desolate. There were no emergency sounds and signals that were taking place. It was eerily quiet as the street lights dangled on a single wire and sand was piled up. I was having to navigate through the streets and I remember very vividly coming to as I was going to check on my church and church members and the area to try to do some things to get things set so that we could begin to minister to the people in the community. And I remember sitting at a particular intersection as I was waiting there to try to figure out which direction to go and in my spirit I heard the Holy Spirit say to me this is exactly what it's going to be like after the rapture. It will be eerily still for a lot of people. The emergency services will be extended to such a degree that people will not be able to get the emergency response that they're looking for. It was a sobering feeling to me. Well, ladies and gentlemen, one of the most compelling, prophetic and signless events in the Bible is the rapture of every believer off of this people planet. Here's what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13 through 18 says this, but I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep or those that died, that you sorrow not even as others who have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and 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. This is important to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And Paul closed that chapter and said wherefore comfort one another with these words. In verse 17 the term and the phrase caught up, those two words is translated in the Greek as harpedzio to in the translation it refers to the word that we use often for this event the rapture or the sudden snatching or catching away of people off of this planet. So Christians who believe in the rapture will be suddenly immediately upon the trumpet of God sounding and that trumpet will only be heard by those who are believers will be a sudden snatching away of every believer off of this planet. Now for some that event is one that they wanna dismiss. In fact in recent years the doctrine of the rapture of the church as the Bible clearly outlines will give to you more information here today. Some people would dismiss it. Others have said you know what that's escapism. Well I will tell you my friend I'm gonna share with you some scriptures today that are so vitally important for you to understand because whether or not you believe it or not will not stop it from happening. This is not the only passage in 1 Thessalonians this is not the only passage of scripture in the Bible that describes the event called the rapture of the church. The rapture is referred to in the book of Titus chapter 2 verse 13 as the blessed hope, the hope of the church. This word hope doesn't mean just something nice is going to happen it means that this event the rapture the blessed hope is a certified fact of a future promise by God that it confidently is going to take place and with a confident expectation and preparation for every believer they will see this event they will experience this event called the rapture of the church. Now many Christians believe in the rapture but have a different thought of the timing of this great event. Some believe as I do in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church some believe in the middle the mid-tribulation in the middle of the tribulation period is when it's going to happen and others believe in the post-tribulation at the end of the seven years tribulation. Well I believe my friend that the Bible verifies over and over again that the rapture of the church the blessed hope as it's referred to in Titus and other terms that are used in the scripture describe this sinless event and when I say sinless I'm talking about nothing has to happen before the rapture could take place before Jesus Christ could come in the clouds and suddenly snatch every believer who has died in Christ who may have been buried in the ground but the ground will not prevent them from rising into the air and every living believer off of this earth. I want you to know this event I believe is a pre-tribulation event before the wrath of God is poured out before the judgment before the tribulation takes place I believe that there are many passages of scripture that I will share with you today and many others that I'll not have time to share that describe this event in vivid detail now again it's a sinless event so it can take place at any moment I'm going to describe to you on today's program how important that it is that you're ready because I want to say this to you very clearly that whether you believe it is the pre-tribulation or the mid-tribulation rapture or a post-tribulation rapture whatever your belief system may be there is one important fact you must be ready when this event takes place for the believers the Bible says it will not catch us off guard but for the many people many people who will dismiss this event or not be ready it will catch them in such shock and awe that they will suddenly fall into a place of fearfulness especially those who sat in churches week after week and heard the word of God heard the preaching of God's word felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit knew that they should be ready but wasted away their days of grace for them it will be a fearful time because they will have known the truth and know what's coming ahead I want you to take time to call someone right now and tell them to tune in for the rest of the program because I want to describe to you some more information straight from the word of God that will let you know how important it is for you to be prepared and why I believe the Bible describes the pre-tribulation rapture of the church that could take place at any moment so stay tuned I'll be right back I want to welcome you back to Prophecy Files and I am so glad that you've joined us for the program because what I'm describing to you today is the most important event for you to be prepared for it is the rapture of the church some people will dismiss it others would say, you know what that is conspiratorial, it's escapism I don't care what you believe about it it's going to take place in fact, the early church from the Book of Acts believed in it so much that they actually greeted one another and left one another's presence with the word Maranatha the Lord is coming that's how important that they believe this event was some people in the Book of 1 Thessalonians Paul had to straighten out their doctrinal belief because some false teachers had come in and said, you know what this event is not going to take place your dead loved ones are gone forever and it's not going to happen and others tried to describe it as saying that it was an event that has already occurred but Paul straightened out their theology in 1 Thessalonians to let them know that that event has not taken place and ladies and gentlemen we are that terminal generation right now because we are seeing events that are taking place that are describing what is the second coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now it's important for you to be able to get the understanding of this so I want to put a chart up for you to see right now a very simple chart for you to be able to follow it is a timeline of end time events that I believe could take place and there is a trigger point to this and it is the rapture of the church the trigger the rapture of the church will release the events to take place after in a sequential timeline that you see on the screen right now we are living currently in what we would identify as the present church age but the next great event on the calendar of God that is a sinless event is the rapture of the church that interrupts the process of things and snatches the bride of Christ off of this earth in a sudden event changing those individuals in the middle of the air and meeting Jesus Christ and the loved ones who have passed away that died in Christ that knew Jesus Christ when they went into the grave they will be raptured first and then the Bible says we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air that rapture event is what triggers the rest of this timeline so what takes place immediately following the rapture of the church we enter into a time period the Bible describes as the seven years of tribulation the book of Revelation talks about it and Jesus spoke of the time and what would take place in that seven year period of time in Matthew 24 in vivid detail he goes in to say initially to his disciples take heed that you be not deceived false teachers he goes in to say in this entire chapter false teachers and false prophets will come there will be wars and rumors of wars and pestilence and all kinds of events he describes that time Jesus himself describes the time in Matthew 24 as being a time when it would be mimicking the days of Noah leading up to the time of the closure of the door at Noah's art and it would be the time he said that would mimic the time of the days of Sodom and Gomorrah so this is important for you to understand you're seeing what is described as the years of tribulation there the antichrist will rise in power and we'll deal with that on another program the antichrist will immediately rise to power there will be seven years this years of tribulation taking place and at the end it actually is broken up in Daniel in the book of Revelation is three and a half and three and a half years the latter portion of it describing the great tribulation or the wrath of God on this earth the culmination of that takes place on that timeline with the return of Christ and what we commonly refer to as the second advent or the second coming of Jesus Christ what takes place then after this period of tribulation time on this earth the seven year period of years of tribulation Jesus will return back to this earth the Bible says in Revelation 19 on a white horse with his saint now that's important the saints of God have been raptured off of this earth at the beginning of the seven year period they're in heaven this period of seven years we're there enjoying the presence of God the marriage supper of the lamb will take place and then at the end of the seven years Jesus comes back on a white horse with the bride of Christ we come back to the place that is described in the Bible as the battle of Armageddon and after that battle Jesus sets up in the city of Jerusalem on the throne of God he sets up his millennial kingdom a thousand years apiece the Bible says Satan is bound for a thousand years and Jesus rules and reigns literally heaven will have come down at that moment and he rules and reigns with the saints of God in the city of Jerusalem the new Jerusalem that will come at the end of the thousand years he will establish his kingdom there so he rules and reigns Jesus does for a thousand years on this earth and then the Bible says there is a time of short season when Satan is loosed again and literally during that millennial reign there will be people that will come back with Satan to try to take over the throne all of this is described in scripture when that takes place Jesus will destroy Satan and cast him and then the great white throne judgment as it is described in the Bible will take place after that it will be an eternal state of the euphoria the ecstasy and the new kingdom of God the new Jerusalem the new heaven and new earth being reestablished all of those events will have to describe at a different time on a different program but I'm saying that to you because if the rapture is a sinless event as I'm describing to you and we're seeing the signs that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24 that are already occurring with wars and rumors of wars and pestilence and so forth then that is the signs that is letting us know of his return at the end of the seven year period of time then ladies and gentlemen how much closer is the rapture of the church so here's a few reasons why and there are many more than this I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church God has not appointed us under wrath in 1 Thessalonians 5.9 so the first set of 42 months is the wrath of the lamb Revelation 6.16 the second 42 months or the second half of the seven years of tribulation is the wrath of God Revelation 14.10 secondly the church is not mentioned after chapter 3 in the book of Revelation the body of Christ is described in 1 Corinthians 12.27 we are the body of Christ in heaven in Revelation 21.2 so since the church is not described after chapter 3 we must be in a different location number three the tribulation is a time of what is described as Jacob's trouble if you recall Jacob's trouble in Genesis 29 it describes it very vividly as two time frames of seven years important number four God seals what is his that is the church is sealed with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1 verse 13 and 14 and there is a sealing of the Jewish remnant in Revelation 14.1 even during the tribulation period there's 144,000 Jews that will be sealed evangelists and they too in the middle of that tribulation period will be caught up into the air to join the bride of Christ in heaven for that seven year period of time now the following sequence of events could start to take place even today the rapture the immediate rapture of every saint of God and it will cast this earth into a period of time of seven years of tribulation I would tell you it will be hell on earth the Bible says men's hearts will fail them for fear now some people get confused between the rapture of the church and the second coming so let me give you some things and you can look at them on the screen that are identifiable between the rapture and the second coming so let's take the rapture first number one in the rapture Christ comes in the air for his own every Christian will vanish number two number three the church will be taken to the father's house number four the rapture is immediate or imminent I should say at any moment there's no sign there's no event that has to take place before it can take place number five no signs for the rapture number six it's for believers only number seven before the wrath of God comes the rapture will take place the Bible describes that vividly that we will be preserved from the wrath to come number eight afterward after the rapture the tribulation begins now let's look at the second coming or what is described as the glorious appearing here's the events taking place surrounding it Christ comes with his own with his own to the earth so we are raptured in the air but when Christ comes in the second coming he comes all the way to the earth no one is raptured during that particular time we're coming with him number three Christ comes as the judge of the earth to set up his kingdom in Jerusalem at that time at the second coming he sets up his kingdom on the earth in the rapture we're caught up in the air at the second coming Jesus comes back all the way to the earth number five there are many signs that are given as I've described to you in Matthew 24 and multiple other passages of scripture that announce his arrival number six this is important for you to get a hold of it affects all of humanity the second coming does every eye will see him the Bible says it will be a time of mourning the Bible says it will be immediately after the tribulation number nine Satan will be bound a thousand years and number ten in the second coming every eye will see him and a thousand years of a millennial reign will take place now it's important for you to know that no man knows the day nor the hour when Jesus will return Matthew 24 verse 36 and 37 says that's describing this time period of the rapture of the church even though it's described in Matthew 24 here he's speaking to us concerning the days leading up to the rapture of the church for that particular passage of scripture this one time event has indicators of all kinds and I don't have time to describe all of them from the scripture now you say well you said that there's no signs concerning it it's true but we can know the seasons that were in the Bible says and those seasons should not catch us off guard the Bible tells us very clearly that the seasons that were in even now are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah they're like those of the days of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah and the days of Noah that Jesus himself made it crystal clear that we cannot know the day nor the hour but that season we can know so how can we be able to get ourselves ready well the Bible says that we are to be like a bride prepared for the coming room that we should have no spot or no defilement according to the scripture in Ephesians 5 and 27 no wrinkle that is no hidden sins we should be a holy people inwardly we should be pure we should be without blemish that is outwardly pure and we should be keeping ourselves completely for Jesus Christ not going around with any other gods or worshiping any other idols or gods this is important for you to understand now being prepared is an important thing and that's what I want to talk to you in my few moments remaining on the program today because just like the bride gets ready in a wedding ceremony as I'm presenting this program and taping this program for you today just the day before I performed the wedding ceremony for a particular couple out of our church and everything that surrounds that event is all about preparing for that one moment when they meet at the altar and they see each other when both individuals the groom is ready for the bride to walk in and when their eyes see each other it is a time that is extremely important well I want to tell you Jesus has gone the Bible says in John 14 to prepare a place in his father's house and just like a Jewish wedding describes I wish I had time today to be able to talk to you a little bit about that but I'm running out of time perhaps on another program but just like a Jewish wedding it describes all the way down the events of preparation that gets the groom ready for the bride and as the church is the bride the groom is Jesus Christ he's gone to prepare a place John 14 and Jesus said if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also that's the reason why you need to get ready today you'll not be able to get ready when the rapture takes place you will not be able to ask the Lord to forgive you whenever that immediate event of snatching every believer off of this earth takes place you gotta get ready now how do I get ready pastor you invite Jesus to come into your heart repent of your sins believe what Jesus did on the cross was for you he died for you he was buried and rose again for you and he is coming again for those that have made themselves ready if you're not ready to prepare with me right now Dear Lord Jesus I confess that I'm a sinner I need you to save me today I'm sorry for my sins I repent of my sins I believe what you did on the cross that you died for me that you were buried and you rose again on the third day and I believe you're coming again I want to be ready Jesus so forgive me today for this precious blood and I pray right now Jesus that you would prepare me get me ready for the next event when you come again in Jesus name let's get ready that's what this program is all about and I pray that you are ready when Jesus returns could take place today so get ready and stay ready because I believe Jesus Christ is coming soon