The Window

We just had an election, one that I thought we would never have; and yet, it happened.  While I thought we would have a repeat of what happened in 2020; alas, apparently ‘we the people’ were actually able to cast our vote and it counted.  Me thinks that the candidate that we got is the lessor of two evils, as it is many times in presidential elections.  I never place my faith in a political figure or other men, but I do keep my eyes on Jesus, and you should too; now more than ever.

What we have now is a window that spans from 11/6/24 to 1/20/25; 75 days.  This is how much time the ‘powers that be’ have to do whatever they are going to do before the administration change.  While this period of time is commonly called a ‘lame duck’ season, a lot of things can happen during this time behind the scenes. We have seen this before in other presidential transitions.

I see what is happening on the global scene as nothing less than unprecedented; this recent election outcome notwithstanding.  We have major super powers positioning themselves on their borders with WMD’s that can annihilate civilization as we know it; and yet Bible prophecy still stands true.  God has written it all out in advance and it will play out exactly as the Lord has fore-ordained it.

My wife Debi and I pray together regularly for Israel and for the protection of the IDF forces and government as we are friends of Israel, the Jewish people, and we understand our biblical mandate to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. ⁷ Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.” ⁸ For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” ⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.”                                                                      – Psalm 122:6-9

• As believers in Jesus, we are to love and pray for the Jewish people; these are those people whom God has made a covenant with; these same who brought us the gospel, these same, according to the Abrahamic covenant, where God told Abram that through him and his descendants, ‘the whole world would be blessed.’

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”               – Genesis 12:2,3

• We want our Jewish brothers and sisters (and all people) to come to know the Christ as their one true Messiah, Jesus.  As long as the Church in on the earth, we can make a difference, be it in the voting booth or in our prayer closets.  The Holy Spirit contained within each of us continues to restrain evil globally and He will do so until we are taken out of the way.

Paul said it this way, “And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,”                                                               – 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8a 

• The true Church of Jesus Christ, those people who are saved by God’s grace and have the indwelling Holy Spirit living within each of them, are those whom God is using to restrain evil globally. 

When we leave in the Rapture, the devil will be clear to do God’s biding in accordance with Bible prophecy, which is the beginning of the seven-year tribulation and all the it entails.  God’s wrath will be unleashed upon the earth, which will conclude with the Second Coming of Jesus with His Church at the end of those 2,520 days.

Before the enemy can be cleared to do his deception and destruction on the earth, the Rapture of the Church must ensue. Before the Rapture of the Church can occur, there must be a global cry for ‘peace and safety,’ which is occurring right now, especially now that President Trump has been elected as the 47^th president of the United States. Currently the United States is a power nation, even though we are not clearly mentioned in Bible prophecy, today we are still a super power nation.  This being the case, our president can influence foreign policy toward peace and safety if that is the direction of the ‘powers that be.’

The Apostle Paul reminds us, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”    – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4

• In a nutshell, ‘the day of the Lord’ is the seven-year tribulation.  This phrase is synonymous with, ‘the Day of Christ, ^{(2 Thessalonians 2)} the Day of Wrath, ^{(Romans 2:5-9; Zephaniah 1:14,15)} the time of trouble, ^{(Daniel 12)} the time of Jacob’s trouble, ^{(Jeremiah 30:7)} the time of the end, ^{(Matthew 24)} the end of the age, ^{(Daniel 11)} the day of indignation, ^{(Ezekiel 22:24)} and the Days of Vengeance.’ ^{(Luke 23:21-24)}   

This blog is not an in-depth study on ‘the day of the Lord,’ however, I am referencing the phrase Paul used of ‘the day of the Lord’ to the Thessalonian believers in this chapter.  If anything, it will better our understanding of what God will be doing on the earth in the last days as they lead up to the day of the Lord.

Paul’s use of the phrase ‘the day of the Lord’ is the span of time of seven years when God will judge the world, the unsaved (at the time of the Rapture), the Gentile nations, and Israel.  During the tribulation, the Lord will judge and prepare the world for the return of Jesus, the true Messiah, to the earth, with His Church to establish His millennial kingdom.

Paul further describes the stealthiness and suddenness of the coming of this Day, like ‘a thief in the night.’  Jesus used this same phrase ^{(Matthew 24:42,43; Luke 12:35-40)} when He described the sudden surprise of the day of the Lord.  Jesus also used this image of suddenness ^{(Revelation 3:3;16:15)} to warn believers to always be living in a state of readiness while watching and waiting for the Lord’s return as we work, live, and witness for Jesus.

Paul told his troubled friends in Thessalonica in the previous chapter about the Lord’s return and the intense suffering that would occur after the Rapture, during the seven-year tribulation.  This ‘wrath’ was from God and is not for His Church.

NOTE: Paul would explain ‘the day of the Lord’ in more detail in his second letter to the Thessalonians; however, here in this passage Paul wanted them to be in the know as it pertained to the Lord’s return and to not be caught off-guard when the Lord did return for them. 

The unbelieving Jews and Gentiles living at the time of Christ’ return will be caught unaware; but not those believers who are watching and waiting for Him.

“For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”                    – (vs.3,4) 

• The ‘they’ Paul referenced here are the unsaved peoples living on the earth at the time of the Rapture. 

• The ‘you’ references the believers who are alive and aware of the nearness of the Lord’s return. 

Because believers have the Holy Spirit living within them, they will be supernaturally in tune with the timing and nearness of the Lord’s return. We won’t know the day or hour, but we will know that the Lord is close, even at the door. Just before the Lord’s return for His Church in the Rapture, the world will be in turmoil as ‘perilous times’ (times of stress) ^{2 Timothy 3:1-5} will be already occurring on the earth; just like what we are seeing today.  Even in the midst of this chaos, life will be occurring in a somewhat state of normalcy, whatever that may look like, in comparison to what will be occurring during the seven-year tribulation.  

Jesus further illustrated this concept of relevant normalcy before judgment when He alluded to the time of Noah and also the time of Lot from the OT.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”                                                            – Luke 17:26-30

• This passage reveals a semblance of normalcy occurring right up to the moment of judgment; and then, once the righteous were removed, God invoked His judgment.  This will be no different at the time of the Rapture.

The cry for ‘peace and safety’ (security) will be the goal for many politicians and well-meaning global leaders who are bent on bringing peace to the world in the midst of its calamity.  The focus of this peace initiative will be on Israel who is at war with Hamas and Hezbollah; which is really Iran.  The world is, and will continue to feel the effects of this war in the middle east; primarily due to oil embargos related to the conflict that will affect global economies driven by fuel and fuel related industry; which is pretty much everything.

NOTE: Since the outcome of the election, there has been a lot of talk about peace and safety because those who really want peace believe that there is now a potential leader who will be able to broker it. 

While I am not saying that Trump is the anti-Christ, I am saying that the way that people tend to flock to a leader for peace is a relevant characteristic of the tribulation. 

If some sort of peace plan manifests in the weeks to come, than this would suffice for a cry for the peace and safety mandate that Paul spoke of.  However, when this occurs, beware, the next thing that Paul says will happen is ‘sudden destruction.’ The timing of the Day of the Lord will occur suddenly, like the ‘labor pains of a pregnant woman.’  There will be (and has been already) a build-up of various events that lead to the Rapture.

Just as there are birth pains with pregnant women just before they give birth.  We are seeing these birth pangs happening daily now with more frequency.  The new term for earthquakes, is birth-quakes. People living during the time just before the Rapture (our current time) will experience the build-up of these labor pains.  These pains will manifest in various ways and more frequently throughout the globe.  For some, these ‘pains’ will lull them into a place of their new normal; while for those who are watching and waiting for the Lord, the birth pains will be a sign of the nearness of the Rapture of the Church. 

The phrase, ‘they shall not escape’ is a direct reference to those unbelievers who are left behind after the Rapture; which is our great escape, our ‘blessed hope.’ ^{(Titus 2:13)}  Paul emphasized how ‘this Day’ would not overtake ‘the brethren who are not in darkness.’  The term, ‘this Day’ is not a specific reference to the Rapture, but it can include it.  ‘This Day’ refers to the Day of the Lord. 

Because true believers are not in darkness, ‘this day will not overtake them like a thief.’  They will sense the nearness of the Lord’s return, even ‘at the doors.’

Jesus said it this way, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (or He) is near—at the doors! ³⁴ Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”           

– Matthew 24:32-34

• The Lord is telling us that we who are alive at the time of the Rapture can know, in their spirit, when He is near, even at the very doors.

We know we’re close; the recent attacks on Jewish people in Amsterdam, Holland by militant Muslims is yet another example of the hatred toward the Jewish people. The rise in antisemitism should not be tolerated, but many people, including many students on college campuses, are rising up against the Jews in hatred of them with an unclear mindset; this is demonic.  

While this may cause many to concern themselves with things outside of their control, the Lord reminds us that this is exactly what the world will look like just before He returns for us.  Jesus is coming for us before the tribulation starts.

Jesus reminds us, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”                       – Luke 21:28

• This passage reminds us that those living just prior to the Rapture will be able to actually see the formation of Bible prophecy occurring before their eyes.

If you are reading this and you are not saved and you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can be saved.  All you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Lord, He alone can forgive you of your sin and cleanse you of your unrighteousness.  If you repent of your sin and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved.  God loved you so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for your sin.  If you believe this and in your heart, than receive Jesus by faith, and you will be saved by God’s grace.  Even if the Rapture has already occurred and you’re reading this, you can still be saved.  Trust in Jesus, He alone is Lord. 

In essence, they will be able to see and discern the day of the Lord approaching if they are watching for it.  Can you tell that we’re getting close to something big? Jesus tells us to ‘look up and lift your heads.’  This implies a direction of looking and an attitude of hopefulness; in this case, ‘lifted up’ because ‘our redemption in Jesus draws near.’  This is a direct reference to the Rapture.  

Suffice it to say that we are in a window of time, a 75-day window between 11/6/24 to 1/20/25 where one administration will transition to another one; unless something happens before then.  Our job as believers in Jesus is to keep looking up, pray for our leaders, and to trust the Lord that He has it all in control, His control.

Maranatha

Encouragemen is a blog written by Pastor Rob Lee, recently relocated to Northwest Missouri.  He lives with his wife of 35-years, near their three adult children, their spouses, and children (their grandchildren).  Pastor Rob is an Ordained Assemblies of God minister, a former Lead Pastor (25 years), police chaplain, and community advocate.  He continues to serve, consult, and disciple men of God, including those who are in the ministry.