The End of the World: Unveiling Apocalypse & the Rapture

Throughout modern history, many have weighed in on what they imagined end-time events would look like — from Hollywood and its apocalyptic renderings on the big screen to science-fiction fans, psychics, philosophers, professors, and, of course, ministers and clergy.

Some of the portrayals and predictions we’ve seen and heard have been interesting and worth pondering biblically. Others were spectacular and riveting — worth every bit of the price of admission to the theater, where we could vicariously live in the chaotic aftermath of destruction and near-annihilation.

As a minister of the Gospel, I must weigh in on this subject by bringing you to the Scriptures and digging deeply into what God Himself has said about the “end of the world.” You will see that every era throughout human history has had a documented beginning and end, and the period in which we live is no different. It had an official beginning, and it will have an official close.

So then, when did the “last days” officially begin and when will they officially end?

Nearly 2,000 years ago, amidst the political and social turmoil of their day, Jesus’ disciples had similar questions in their own hearts. They specifically asked the Lord, “…What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).

But first, there are two other questions we need to ask at the very outset in this search for answers: What does the phrase “end of the world” in this verse mean? Will the world really end?

The phrase “end of the world” in this verse doesn’t refer to the termination of the world. The word “world” here is translated from the Greek word aionos, which refers to an age. Thus, the disciples were actually interested in knowing when this present age would come to a close. The disciples knew that this age — the one we’re living in right now — would eventually run its course. So they were asking Jesus to concretely tell them how to determine when the final close to the age was about to occur.

The New King James Version states Matthew 24:3 correctly: “…What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” In Greek, the word “end” describes a completion, conclusion, closure, culmination, a finish, or a wrap-up. This emphatically tells us that the disciples wanted to know what signs would be visible to authenticate that this current period of time was experiencing its ultimate wrap-up.

The questions the disciples asked Jesus are almost exactly the same questions people are asking today. Many have an inner awareness that planet Earth is on the precipice of something tumultuous. And they are rightfully asking about the signs we’ll see just before Jesus comes.

The Beginning of Sorrows

In Matthew 24:4-7, Jesus catalogued a list of signs that would confirm the end of the age and His return was at hand. These signs are occurrences Jesus said would happen with greater frequency and intensity as we approach nearer and nearer to the wrap-up of the last days.

Then in Matthew 24:8, Jesus stated that all of these types of events would signify the beginning of sorrows. What did Jesus mean by using this word “sorrows” to describe this final slot of time?

The word “sorrows” in Matthew 24:8 is translated from the very same Greek word that is used to describe the contractions a pregnant woman experiences as the time of her delivery draws near. Although there are exceptions, it is generally true that in the beginning stages of labor, a woman’s contractions are spaced sporadically apart. Those early labor pains unpredictably come and go with irregularity. But as she comes closer to her moment of delivery, those contractions occur more frequently and with greater regularity and intensity as her body prepares for the task of bringing a baby into the world.

Jesus used this phrase “the beginning of sorrows” to tell us that as this period entered its last phases, the signs He was about to enumerate would occur irregularly at first. But by using the word “sorrows” — the very Greek word for a woman in travail — Christ was telling us that when the moment of His return and the conclusion of the age is right upon us, these signs will occur with greater regularity and intensity, almost like a woman in the pains of childbirth. Finally, when it seems the pace and pain of these events can grow no worse, this period will end, Christ will come, and a new prophetic time period will be birthed.

According to Jesus, these last-days “contractions” will begin slowly at first, just like the early stages of labor for a pregnant woman. Then these events will occur closer and closer together — like birth pains — until they will seem like they’re happening rapid-fire, one after another.

As you will see in the pages that follow, these “sorrows” will be felt in the earth’s atmosphere, in the physical structure of the earth, in politics, in world events, and in society at large, especially as this age wraps up in its final moments.

Jesus stated that no one but the Father knows the exact day or hour when Christ will return (see Matthew 24:36). But Jesus said it’s possible for us to know when we’re approaching the outer boundaries of the age by looking at the signs (see Matthew 24:4-7). There are many such indicators to alert us that we have already entered the territory of the closing of this period in history. And we will see many more signs or events that will occur in the years, months, and even days leading up to Christ’s return for His Church.

One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to show us things to come so we’ll know what to expect as we move forward in time (see John 16:13). Armed with knowledge, we can protect ourselves, our families, and our loved ones from the destructive trends that will be associated with the closing days. And we can resolve to stand strong and do the will of God, shining as lights in the darkness that will certainly increase just before Jesus returns.

My Position on the Rapture

I firmly believe that there will be a split second in time when the Body of Christ on the earth will be supernaturally “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air. This is what is commonly referred to as the Rapture. At the precise moment when that event occurs, the door to this present era will be closed. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8.) After the Rapture occurs, a time of intense agony — called the Tribulation — will rage across the planet until Christ physically returns with “ten thousands of His saints” to establish His millennial reign (see Jude 14).

I have studied every theological position on this topic of the Rapture, and I want to say that I respect those who have come to a theological conclusion different from my own. My belief in the Rapture is the result of nearly 40 years of simmering and percolating through countless hours of study and prayer concerning this subject.

I am convinced of these truths. However, I am also convinced that conditions before the Rapture could potentially become so bleak that it may very well feel like we’ve already entered the Tribulation before that time period has actually begun.

We are living in tumultuous, dangerous times. Many areas of the world are embroiled in bloody, longstanding conflicts that are being fueled by a seemingly inexhaustible current of hatred, economic instability, poverty, and desperation on all fronts. And society continues to slide further into immorality as people chase hedonistic thrills and godless lifestyles as substitutes for truth, meaning, and purpose in life. While this degradation increases, Christians who are standing by their beliefs in God’s moral absolutes are finding themselves increasingly marginalized and penalized for their faith.

Based on Bible prophecy, we know that there will be a continuing escalation of these trends. As the moral descent continues, it is likely that the tide will increasingly turn against Christians who have resolved to stand by the absolute principles contained in God’s Word. But these believers will be His glorious ones, through whom the Spirit of God will arise in power to bring many to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ before it is too late.

More Shifting Developments

Most of us already sense the shifting and changing that is occurring in the world today — and that unsettling impression is producing a heightened sense of urgency concerning the time in which we live. Most committed Christians who know and believe the Bible are certain about where the signs are leading us. Many are seeking God with unprecedented fervor for His intervention in the affairs of man — for His purposes to be wrought in this generation and His plans to be consummated on the earth.

Just as the disciples wanted to know when the age was going to close, believers today want to know what the signs are that will pinpoint this culmination and the Lord’s imminent return. There’s no question that Jesus will return, and we have never been closer to that moment than we are right now!

The Holy Spirit wants us to know about the signs on the prophetic road that we’ll see as we enter this new territory of the wrap-up of the age. He wants us to know the signs to prepare us for the times ahead. This knowledge is power — our ignorance is not bliss!

The End-Times Clock is Ticking

“Four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, forty-five feet high. Build it with cypress; waterproof it with tar. Construct decks and stalls, and make the door wide. Build the deck three stories high, and be sure to leave an opening below the roof — eighteen inches high — all the way around the boat. Do it just like this, and begin now. A FLOOD is coming.”

The plot seemed outlandish, bordering on the ridiculous for most who heard it. In fact, any thinking person hearing it for the first time might dismiss the plan as pure fantasy — except for the fact that it was orchestrated by God. He said it, and it happened exactly the way it was recorded, down to the minutest detail.

I paraphrased Genesis 6:14-17 (NLT) to make the serious point that God is intricately involved in the affairs of man on the earth — from the time of Creation to the days of Noah and to this present day. He says what He will do, speaking the end from the beginning, and then He does it — on no one else’s timetable but His own (see Isaiah 46:4,10). The Lord spoke to Noah about a forthcoming flood years before that cataclysmic event took place. But as surely as God said it, those floodwaters came, and eight human beings were delivered — carried to safety by a heeded warning and an obedient response to His call to action.

Throughout the many years it took Noah to build the ark according to specifications, the rest of the world no doubt mocked the servant of God as he worked relentlessly to prepare for the certain days ahead. Perhaps they said to Noah, “You’ve been talking about this event for years, but it hasn’t happened! Where is this ‘flood’ you speak of?”

Concerning the promise of Christ’s return for His Church, the apostle Peter wrote that this very mindset would be prevalent again in the climax of the age. Second Peter 3:3,4 (NLT) says, “…In the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?’...”

Peter prophesied that at this climax of the age, there will be scoffers who will mock the prophetic declaration of Christ’s return. They will complain, “They’ve been saying these are the last days for the past 2,000 years, but Jesus hasn’t come back yet! Where is the fulfillment of this promise?”

If you ever hear someone make this remark, you should congratulate that person for his scriptural accuracy — because the past approximate 2,000 years is precisely the period termed by the Bible as the last days!

In biblical terms, “the last days” began on the Day of Pentecost. Peter announced that the last days were officially initiated when the Holy Spirit was poured out (see Acts 2:17,18). So for the past approximate 2,000 years, we have been living in these last days on God’s prophetic calendar.

But in Matthew 24, Jesus was referring to the final time frame of this last-days period that would alert us to the fact we were entering the territory of the very ultimate end of the age.

Can you hear the end-times clock ticking?