Todd Strandberg and Terry James are the co-editors of the website RaptureReady.com. RR is the longest running end times website on the internet. For twenty years, RR Founder Todd has been bringing to online seekers information from the bible about end times, or eschatology. There is a wealth of stored information about the rapture, the Tribualtion, Jesus, the plan of Salvation and much more. Their goal was to have this archive ready and protected for people who clamor to know from a biblical perspective what is going on in the moments, days, and years after the rapture.
In that sense, Mr Strandberg, along with Hal Lindsey and others, have made eschatology their niche in bible study have a unique perspective because they have the long view.
I read their weekly editorial this morning and I agree with the following statement completely. In writing about the global economy and the looming economic bubble about to burst, Mr Strandberg states:
1)We are amazed that the bubble hasn’t burst; 2)We believe that the longer the crises build, the greater will be the explosion; 3) We maintain that only the staying hand of God has thus far prevented it from bursting; and 4) We are of the opinion that it will likely be the Rapture of the church that will pop that bubble."
I agree. I look at the economy and with what rudimentary knowledge I have, even I can see that the current situation long passed sustainable, viable, or even feasible in life OR on paper, even. When you have more debt than money, you can't function. Even I know that much. Yet for three years, especially the last few months, we have functioned. It is only God who can perform the impossible, and today's economy is impossible.
With that, I've long felt also that it would be the rapture itself that would pop the bubble. I wrote in September 2010,
"Then the rapture will come. Suddenly, things will tip even more to the panic side of global turmoil. A terrorized populace will ask, scream, demand to know 'Where did they go? Why? Who took them?' The weakened economy perhaps will not be able to stand the vacuum created by millions of vibrant and contributing Christians. The problems will get worse."
Imagine the sudden removal of a workforce of millions. Imagine the vacuum created by the economic loss of participating contributors to payroll, consumer spending, etc. It would be like the air let out of a balloon and crash the economy will go.
My opinion and the Rapture Ready guys' opinion, Hal Lindsey mentioned this too, a while back, don't amount to a hill of beans in the face of biblical truth. However we can connect some dots, make an interpretation based on long years of study (those guys, I'm just a whippersnapper) and we can truthfully say that based on what the Lord shows us in His Word compared to the world situation right now, the rapture seems closer than ever.
For the born again believer, this comes as good news. For the unaware believer, this comes as a kooky opinion. In 2 Peter 3:3, Peter wrote, "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires."
Understand that the mocking and scoffing does not come from just unbelievers, but also from Christians who deny this doctrine and scoff at fundamentalists who proclaim it. Just today I deleted two comments that vehemently denied the rapture in capital letters and a plethora of exclamation marks, but didn't use a single bible verse to support their opinion. For many, Christians included, the rapture is going to be a huge surprise. I pray that for many of them, it is a happy surprise, and not one for whom will be left pleading with the Lord, saying-
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'" And they will hear the devastating reply from the One True God,
"Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" (Mt 7:22b)
Not that denying the rapture is a method of detecting salvation, it isn't, but here is the iron clad promise from the Lord:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Mt 7:21
The supernatural Hand of God seems to be temporarily staying the economic crash and the beginning of wars, among other things. I think it will be the rapture that breaks the dam. The Restrainer will be removed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7), the economy will collapse, at least in some form before returning to capitalism depicted in Revelation 18, and sin will explode. I pray you are among those who are called by the Lord as blessed part of the Bride, and not a mocker or scoffer pleading with the Lord later for permission to enter the Kingdom.
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