To those Left behind - What to do if you miss the Rapture

What to do if you missed the Rapture(4): Allow for Martyrdom

Allow for Martyrdom

I know, when we think about dying for Christ, being a martyr, that sounds like a terrible thing. But let me talk with you about dying for just a moment. The Apostle Paul has already said, regarding those who know the Lord:

"O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" (1 Cor. 15:55).

The Church would never have been in the world, in any solid sense, were it not for those in the early days, who loved not their lives unto death, but were willing to live and to die for Christ. This they did in great numbers, perhaps by the millions, resolute for the Savior. Now that time of martyrdom may come again. If you are reading this in a time when the Rapture has already passed, you are living in the Tribulation, and must prepare for the possibility of martyrdom. If that possibility stands before you, remember that Christ said:

". . .be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).

There's a special martyr's crown, which God has prepared for those who give to Him their last full measure of devotion. That offer will be made, virtually to everyone, during the days of the Tribulation. There will be the choice to live, compromising with the system of the Antichrist. But remember, if you take his mark, you cannot be saved. If you take the road of martyrdom-turning over your life, in order to remain faithful to Jesus Christ-you will pass into eternal life with great rewards awaiting you.

If you miss the Rapture, therefore, you must keep these things in mind. And they deserve to be repeated, even for those who will read this while it is still the Day of Grace. For many of us on this side of the Rapture, one of the hardest things in all the world to contemplate, is the dreadful time that will be coming upon the world during the Tribulation. But if you have missed the Rapture, you are already in the midst of that time, and suddenly a very stern code has come upon you.

So again, first of all, be sure that you believe the Gospel of the Kingdom. Accept Christ as your Messiah. Believe that He is coming to establish His Kingdom on Earth, because He is! When your life is tied to His, then whatever happens, you know that you have eternal life. If you will be resolute for Christ in the days ahead, you have the chance not only to know Him, but also to reign with Him.

Steel yourself to live courageously. Courage has always been required of those who believe on the Lord, and now in many cases it will be the price of survival. In light of your decision for Christ, you have every reason to face the future with courage!

Remember that starting in a very small way, and then growing until it devours the Earth, will be the kingdom of the Antichrist. Why do we have the Tribulation? The Tribulation is God saying to man, "Look. You have said you're autonomous. You have said you can run the world, and you don't need help from God. Okay, you've got it! Have it your way."

The Tribulation is the last installment of man's day, the time when man has the opportunity to run the world. The airwaves will be filled with the propaganda that man is creating Utopia. He thinks he can do it efficiently, but he will do it so poorly, that it will become one of the most dreadful hours in the history of mankind.

One-half of the population of the world will die during the Tribulation. One-fourth will die, as prophesied in Revelation Chapter 6, and one-third of those who remain are prophesied to die in Revelation Chapter 9. This will be the outcome of the fearful things you now see coursing across the world.

Now, one final question concerning the Tribulation: will the Tribulation go on forever? The answer is no. The Tribulation is a very finite thing. It will go on for a period of seven years, the last 3.5 years being particularly terrible. Jesus Christ told us about those years, warning that they would be so terrible, that:

"except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved" (Matt. 24:22).

Those days will be shortened by the glorious return of Jesus Christ, when He comes "with ten thousands of His saints" (Jude 14). He will deliver the beleaguered people of Israel; He will rescue the remainder of the world from the dread clutches of the Antichrist; He will set up His Kingdom. You must decide now to be true to that coming Kingdom.

There's just a short time to endure the frightful things of the Tribulation, and then Christ will come. We will be a part of His magnificent rulership of the world, and of the universe. So in the light of that day, this is the day to be resolute for Christ. Jesus Christ is coming again. That, during the Tribulation, is your greatest hope: not just an expression, but your greatest hope. Be prepared for these events which are coming upon our world.