A few years ago, a pastor used a rubber band as an illustration of the nearness of the Rapture. Just as one can only stretch it so far before it snaps, so world events could only continue so long before the chaos of the Tribulation period erupted across the earth.
At the time, it appeared as though the horses and riders of the apocalypse were about ready to ride across the earth spreading deceit, wars, famine, and much death in their wake (Revelation 6:1-8); things that happen after Jesus appears and takes us out of the world.
Today, we seem even closer to the chaos that will mark the start of the Day of the Lord, yet we remain earthbound. What’s going on? The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8, tells us that what we see today is the work of the Restrainer, the Holy Spirit, who is currently working through the Church to block the revealing of the antichrist and restrain the lawlessness that will accompany his unveiling to the world: “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”
The many signs pointing to the onset of the seven-year Tribulation are unmistakable. However, the Restrainer is also at work delaying the events of Revelation 6 until we are safely with Jesus in Heaven and He opens the seals.
Our world is currently full of conflicts that have the potential to lead to a world war far more deadly than the ones of the past century. As Ukraine, with NATO expertise, equipment, and training, continues to strike deep into its territory, Russian leaders continue to warn that such actions will lead to a nuclear war, which would contribute to the enormous death toll that we read about in Revelation 6:7-8.
Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently warned America that its participation in its war with Ukraine was “like small children playing with matches.” I believe that the hesitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to respond with nuclear weapons comes from the Holy Spirit’s restraint rather than his benevolence.
A great many people, including me, expected a major war to occur in the Middle East weeks ago, but so far, the fighting hasn’t reached that level.
Author and Bible prophecy expert Joel C. Rosenberg addressed God’s restraint in the Middle East in a recent article: Has God supernaturally thwarted Iran & Hezbollah from launching apocalyptic missile attacks against Israel? Or is the attack still coming? Another writer, Mark Hitchcock, in a piece that appeared on Harbinger’s Daily, considered the possibility that God had used a recent earthquake in Syria to thwart an all-out attack on Israel.
Long ago, Ezekiel predicted that an alliance of nations would invade Israel in the end times (chapters 38-39). The players are aligned exactly as he prophesied, but the time has not yet come. In recent weeks, Putin has become increasingly vocal of the need for a two-state division of Israel, which perhaps speaks to his future involvement in the Gog-Magog war. I’m of the opinion that this invasion will happen soon after the Rapture, but it’s possible we might still be here when it happens.
Another place where the rubber band should’ve snapped long before now lies in the area of the economy and what John witnessed – the “black horse” and its rider (Revelation 6:5-6). How much longer can a nation that’s thirty-five trillion dollars in debt keep rewarding millions of illegal aliens with vast amounts of money that it must borrow? I’m convinced that the globalists are attempting to cause a catastrophic depression upon the U.S., one that will lead to economic devastation throughout the world.
According to what I learned while pursuing my MBA degree at the University of Iowa thirty-six years ago, the U.S. should already have arrived at a time of severe hyperinflation. The increases in the cost of living during the past few years have been substantial and quite painful for many families, but even so, they are relatively mild compared to what lies ahead for America.
For those of us who already belong to Christ, now is the time to be watching, knowing that His appearing to take us home is imminent. From our perspective, we are already living on borrowed time. The rubber band has been stretched beyond what we thought possible, and perhaps very soon, the “sudden destruction” of the Day of the Lord will fall upon those left behind after our departure.
As we wait, is it not encouraging to know that the seeming delay we see in world events is itself the fulfillment of prophecy? Apart from the Restrainer, how else can we explain the current lack of a leader who is able to make globalists’ dream of world dominance a reality?
Jonathan Brentner is an author, writer, and Bible Teacher with a passion for encouraging believers with a sound biblical worldview and the nearness of Jesus’ appearing.
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