How many people do you suppose would be saved today if the Lord had said that He was going to return for His church on October 6, 2021? We are saved by grace through faith, (Eph. 2:8) but I really don’t think the amount of those who would be saved by that grace would differ any from what it is today if the time was known, forced servitude because of impending knowledge does not make faith.
I would liken the attitude of the wicked if the day was known of the Lord’s arrival to that of what is commonly known as a bachelor or bachelorette party, the rebellious, and often times sinful activity of those who are to be married soon, a sort of “last fling” of supposed freedom, inferring a lack of freedom after the marriage vows. Most people if the date was known would behave in the same manner, a frivolous life right up to the last possible moment, and then a feigned repentance.
The moment after we disappear, (1 Thess. 4:17) if it is widely known, millions of people will accept the Lord as who He is, Savior and King, but there will be something different for them than there is for us today, they must persevere to the very end, no matter the circumstances. “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matt. 24:13) And secondly, they will not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, He will guide them, perhaps in miraculous ways that we cannot fathom in this present time, but they will not be blessed by His continuous presence as we know of it today.
We are a people preparing to leave our home without knowing the date, much less the hour, we are to be prepared at all times, at a moments notice to be gone forever, your bags, so to speak, should have been packed a long time ago. Those who do not know of this approaching day, and there are many, will not even realize what has happened, at best if it is the only event of that blessed day, the news of it will be modified in such a way as to be deceptive, the possibility of many dying on that day though seems to be more of an advantageous way to greater deceive those that will be left behind, but this is only conjecture, and should be treated as such.
There are signs occurring, but there has been given us no date, and to tell the truth, one must wonder about all those who are continuously searching for those signs and His return as just to what they were doing before the advent of them, were they just as prepared ten years or more ago as they claim to be now? A specific date to tell the truth would probably make little difference to most people, they would not believe it, or at best would have the attitude of “I’ll believe it when I see it,” which of course would be too late.
This is the same response that nearly all of us receive when we attempt to speak on the subject of death to most individuals, they know it is approaching, there is no denying it, yet it is either too far away to pay any heed to, or it is treated as that same unexpected event, one that will be dealt with when the time arrives. Death, as the rapture, will happen, and as is the case with both of them, we do not know the hour or the day, but the wise man prepares as best he is able to for both of them. His house is in order, and he is ready to leave.
