I know some of you may not believe in the rapture. That’s fine, I do, and I’m going to share why. I’ve had all the debates, read the arguments, and done my homework. So if you disagree, feel free to find someone else to argue with later. Today, I want to give you five solid reasons why we should live like the rapture could happen next month.
Every major event connected to Jesus Christ has happened on a Jewish feast day. If you have never studied Jewish culture, I highly recommend it because the Bible was written by Jewish people, and understanding their traditions will help you see Scripture in a deeper way.
Jesus was crucified on Passover, buried during Unleavened Bread, rose on the Feast of Firstfruits, and the Holy Spirit was given during Pentecost. These feasts were fulfilled in order. There are four spring feasts and three fall feasts.
The spring ones have been fulfilled, and now we are in a long “summer break.” The next feast on the calendar is the Feast of Trumpets, which happens in September or October depending on the Jewish calendar.
Considering that the next major event is the “catching away” of the church, what we often call the rapture, there is a good chance it will happen during this feast. Why? Because the Feast of Trumpets is the only feast where no one knows the exact day or hour it starts.
They have to spot the first sliver of the new moon before it can begin. If the moon is not visible, they wait until the next day. Does that sound familiar? Jesus said, “No one knows the day or the hour.”
This feast perfectly fits that description. And with the world filled with earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, wars, and other “birth pains” that Jesus talked about, I would not be surprised one bit to meet Him in the air this September.
So, stay watchful. Do not get distracted by the world. Keep your spiritual fire burning and your oil full, like the wise virgins Jesus spoke about. When the moment comes, you will want to be ready.
History shows a pattern in God’s timeline. The first era of human history, from Adam and Eve, lasted about 2,000 years. The second era, from Moses and the giving of the Law, lasted another 2,000 years.
We are now in the third era, which began with the resurrection of Jesus around 32 A.D. That means we are about seven years away from completing another 2,000-year cycle. After this, the Bible says there will be a 1,000-year reign of Christ, completing a 7,000-year timeline before God remakes everything.
If Jesus said His return was “soon” 2,000 years ago, how soon is “soon” now?
Jesus compared His return to the days of Noah and the days of Lot. In Luke 17:26–30 (NLT), He said:
“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business, eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building, until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be business as usual right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”
That means there will be normal life, buying, selling, marrying, happening alongside wars, disasters, and moral decline. These two realities may seem like opposites, but they will exist side-by-side until the moment the church is caught away. Then, the tribulation will begin.
In Genesis 29, Jacob fell in love with Rachel, but through a twist of events, he first married her older sister Leah. This story is a picture of God’s relationship with the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews were God’s covenant people, but when they rejected their Messiah, salvation opened up to us Gentiles, the “Leahs” of the story.
Jacob was 84 years old when he married, and the Bible records other notable events at the same age. The prophet Anna was 84 when she saw the infant Jesus and recognized Him as the Messiah (Luke 2). Aaron, the first high priest, also became high priest at age 84.
Why does the Bible highlight this number? Matthew 24:32–34 says:
“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know His return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.”
The fig tree represents Israel, which became a nation again in 1948. Right now, Israel is 77 years old. In seven years, they will be 84. Could that be significant? I think so.
Some people quote “no one knows the day or the hour” to say we cannot know anything about the timing of the rapture. But if you read 1 Thessalonians 5:1–4, Paul says:
“But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you will not be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.”
The thief-in-the-night surprise is for unbelievers and the spiritually asleep, not for those watching and ready. In fact, the “day or hour” phrase is a Jewish idiom for the Feast of Trumpets. Jesus even gave us a heads-up if we are paying attention.
So keep your eyes on Jesus. Be like my four-year-old son Noah, who recently said with excitement, “We are going to fly with Jesus!” That is the kind of childlike faith we need.
If you are lukewarm or unsure whether you are ready, now is the time to surrender fully to Christ. Shake off the fake version of Christianity where Jesus is just your “sidekick” and instead make Him Lord of your life. Lay down your old life and receive the righteousness of Christ.
Your eternity is worth it.
