Christian Living

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Curious (nosy) person that I am, I was lurking around a Christian chat room where discussions pertained to The Rapture of the Church. One thread in particular caught my eye:

What Song Do You Want to be Playing when The Rapture Occurs?

Skimming through the many answers, Mercy Me’s “I Can Only Imagine” appeared to be the top choice; however, preferences ranged from the beloved hymn “I’ll Fly Away” to Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Cruel World.” My favorite response was, “TAKE THIS JOB AND”…well, you know the rest.

There are days when I agree, days when I wish God would give me control over the schofar that will announce Jesus returning to gather His church. I’d blast that baby so fast, heads would roll.


Many are antsy about discussing The Rapture. I love the topic, and though I can’t pronounce it, am a student of Eschatology, the study of End Times. I’ve done a Bible Study on Revelation, am currently in a Beth Moore study on the prophet Daniel and frequent a discussion board that lets me view intelligent, educated conversations about prophecy and world events, past and present. To say I’m fascinated is an understatement.

The Bible is about one-third prophecy, and so far, has a 100 percent accuracy rate, right down to the tiniest details. This tells us that all debates are over: God IS exactly who He says He is.

I once experienced a crisis of faith, but it wasn’t a heart issue. This was an intellectual battle that had me questioning every Biblical truth. Knowing that I needed get my head realigned with my heart, I sought everything that defended the Bible’s authenticity. For me, the most powerful and logical proof was fulfilled prophecy.

Studies show this is true for many, and that’s one good reason to learn about prophecy. In this day of numerous beliefs, our knowledge of prophecy is a strong tool for witnessing to and answering those who challenge our faith.

In his commentary, The Importance of Bible Prophecy, A Playground for Fanatics or Green Pastures for Disciples?, Dr. David R. Reagan writes, “Fulfilled prophecy is one of the best evidences I know of that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible contains hundreds of fulfilled secular prophecies pertaining to cities, nations, empires, and individuals. Jeremiah predicted the Babylonian captivity would last 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12). Isaiah stated that the children of Israel would be sent home from Babylon by a man named Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28; Ezra 1:1). Daniel predicated the precise order of four great Gentile empires (Daniel 2 and 7). The destruction of Babylon was foretold by a number of the Hebrew prophets (Isaiah 13). In the New Testament, Jesus predicted the complete destruction of Jerusalem 40 years before it actually occurred (Luke 21:6).”

Reagan also writes that prophecy validates Jesus. “The Bible contains more than 300 prophecies about the first coming of Jesus, all of which were literally fulfilled. Every aspect of the life of Jesus was prophesied — the place of His birth, the nature of His birth, the quality of His ministry, the purpose of His life, and the agony of His death. Consider, for example, the prophecy in Psalm 22:16 that the Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. That prophecy was written by David about a thousand years before the birth of Jesus. It was written 700 years before the invention of crucifixion as a form of execution. The literal fulfillment of so many prophecies in the life of one individual transcends any mere coincidence and serves to validate that Jesus was who He said He was — the divine Son of God.”

Amazing stuff! It’s been said that prophecy is the history of the world told in advance, so maybe fulfilled prophecy contributes to my interest in current and future prophecies —I have no reason to think they won’t unfold!

As for The Rapture, Jesus said nobody knows the day or the hour, but those watching would know the season. Are we in the season? Many say yes, many say no. Whichever camp you support, we can trust God, in His perfect timing, will be true to His Word, and know that He isn’t kidding when He said, “do not treat prophecies with contempt.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20)

For some “wow” moments, I encourage everyone to explore Bible prophecy. Knowing it increases faith, inspires Godly living, motivates witnessing and assures believers that, ultimately, the best is yet to come.

Should The Rapture occur in our lifetime, we’ll probably go out singing. Until then, Jesus said to “occupy” until He comes. (Luke 19:13, KJV) There is work to be done—let’s take our jobs and do them!

©Donna G. Morton, March 2007

Dr. Reagan is the Senior Evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries in McKinney, Texas. [email protected]

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