What time is it in God’s plan?

    The child of God who is a believer owns a residence in Heaven.  How do I know that?  Jesus promised his followers “In My Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)  Jesus unfolded a timetable that presented a plan of events that will occur in two stages.  The first part will be the catching away of the believers that are ready to meet Jesus. In the same way that Jesus left He will be seen again in the clouds.

     The angel promised at the ascension of Jesus back into heaven “this same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”  The Apostle Paul clarifies this point in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 when he declares, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

    The second stage will occur seven years after stage 1 when Jesus, the Messiah, returns to earth physically to set up His earthly reign as King as recorded in Revelation 19.  John said, “I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns.” (Rev 19:12)  But, what is heaven’s time?

    Jesus said in Matthew 24:33, “When you see all these things, know that (God’s Time) it is near—at the doors!”  Notice that John specifically stated “all” things in the prophecy of chapter 24.  Today, we have violence in every community in the same way that violence was in Noah’s day including State sponsored terrorism.  

    Genesis 6:11 reads, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”  Jesus warned of false Christs. He was saying, Not Buddha!  Not Islam! Not Your way!  Not Many ways!  But, only as He stated in John 14:6!  “I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  But, what is God’s time?

    Matthew, the most Jewish of the four gospels, specifically tries to record the question of the disciples as they ask in verse 24:3.  “Tell us, when shall these things be?…What shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world?”  Jesus answers with a statement. “When you see all these things… know that it…is at the doors!”  This chapter is inclusive of the timetable for both stage 1 and stage 2, which brings the events that will occur before the literal bodily return of Jesus to the earth.

     The Bible teaches that the believer will be caught up or raptured “For God hath not appointed us to wrath.” (1 Thes5:9)

     But, to the Jews and those left behind to endure the tribulation period The signs of the time are real.  The Apostle Luke 21:24 recorded the Jewish Nation would be dispersed by “the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  

    In my lifetime I have seen Israel born in a day and Jerusalem controlled by God’s chosen, Israel.  This generation has seen the events of Luke 21:25 fulfilled as the Bible predicted. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.”

    N. Brad Carter is a bible class teacher on WMER (1390 AM) Radio. Email him at rbc@wmerworldwide.com.