Many times over the course of the past 35 years, I have heard comments from some that have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that they would wait to accept Jesus until they saw the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
If the Rapture is true, and if Jesus is Lord and Savor, their thought is that when the antichrist appears on the scene at the beginning of the seven year Tribulation, then they will be ready to bow their heart to Jesus.
What always struck me a strange was the fact that the very reason for accepting Jesus now was due to the fact that He is so wonderful. Why would anyone put off something that would bring them such amazing Joy? For me, knowing and loving Jesus has been the best part of the entirety of my life. I could not imagine living the past four decades without having Jesus as the center of my life.
What is missing in the thought patterns of many people who take this view, is the idea that “if I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior then I will be missing out on the most fun that life has to offer”. I have to laugh when I hear comments like these because in actuality, the most fun that a person can have in this short life is when they are in a vital and living relationship with Jesus. There is nothing in the world that is more satisfying than looking back on nearly 40 years and remembering how many times the Lord has blessed your life.
In every critical and live changing moment of my life, when I needed help, provision, love or direction, Jesus has never failed to do for me what I could not do for myself. The abiding joy and deep serenity that I have experienced as a result of knowing Jesus personally, is the most valuable part of my entire life.
These things being true, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to wait to see if the antichrist really does appear at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, before they would surrender their life to Jesus Christ.
The Bible describes the fact that those who put off their decision to receive Jesus, will find that it will be impossible to do so once the antichrist arrives on the scene.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.“
Paul writes to this church in Thessalonica to inform them that once the antichrist arrives, he will possess such great power and ability to perform incredible supernatural wonders, that all the world will be deceived by him.
Because people did not receive the Love of God when Jesus was offered to them, they will not be able to receive Him once the seven year Tribulation begins. It appears that God takes it as a personal offense that a person would reject Jesus now in this time period before the Tribulation begins, that He will give those who rejected Jesus what they asked for, deception.
God will turn over the minds and hearts of those who reject Jesus now, to be unable to accept Him later when the Tribulation begins.
There are various examples of this in the Old Testament. In the Book of Isaiah chapter 29, the Lord takes great effort to warn Israel that because they have rejected His pleas to turn to Him, He will turn them over to deception and they will not be able to turn to Him later:
Isaiah 29:9 “Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the LORD has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”
Throughout the Old Testament the Lord often punished people who rejected his instruction by allowing them the very blindness that they had chosen for themselves.
If you know of someone, or you yourself have chosen to not receive Jesus as Lord and Savior now in this time period before the seven-year Tribulation Period begins, you will most certainly not find the capacity to receive Him once the antichrist arrives on the scene.
It would be wise to advise those to whom we care about that if they cannot live for Jesus now, they will not be able to die for Him once the Tribulation begins.
In the Book of Revelation chapter 20, there is a description of those who live during the time of the Tribulation and the reign of the antichrist. The kingdom of this world ruler called “the beast” will require complete allegiance and worship of the individual. If someone comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period, they are warned to not take the “mark of the beast” and worship him. To do so would condemn that person to eternity in the Lake of Fire along with the antichrist and all of the fallen angels.
Revelation 19:20 “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.“
Those who hear about Jesus for the first time during the seven-year Tribulation Period and accept Him as their Savior, will be killed by the beast because they will not take his mark, nor worship him.
Revelation 13:7 “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”
In this present time before the Tribulation begins, satan has no power or authority over the believer in Jesus. After the Tribulation begins, satan has the ability and power to kill those who receive Jesus. In Revelation chapter 20, we see all those who have been killed by the beast during the Tribulation as being “Beheaded”.
Revelation 20:4 “… Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.”
Those who do not accept Jesus as their Savior during the Tribulation will fall under his deception and take the mark of the beast. They will be lost forever and have no hope of eternal life.
Revelation 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
For this reason, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 warns all those who have not received Jesus now before the Tribulation begins, that once the beast arrives on the scene, they will not have the ability to receive Jesus at that time.
Today is the day of Salvation. Now is the time to receive Jesus and have all of your sins put away forever. Without Jesus’ sacrifice to cover your sins, you will stand before God and give a full account for why you would not receive His Son and have your sins pardoned. To stand before God at that time is a fearful and dreadful thought.
Hebrews 10:29-31 “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The Bible encourages us to not put off the decision to accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sins. No one knows just how many more breaths they will draw before their life will end. I have stood at the deathbed of many a person who found their life suddenly and unexpectedly over.
2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Today is the day to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior…
Rob Robinson
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