This is part 4 in a 14 part series entitled Don’t Panic – Survival Guide to the Apocalypse. Full PDF Download available free here: Don’t Panic – Survival Guide
Act 1 – And So It Begins
Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, planting and building, buying and selling, working and sleeping. These are everyday activities around our planet. As far as “normal” goes, life will proceed with reasonable predictability – until, suddenly, it won’t.
In the city of Jerusalem, sudden panic! The mountains of Israel crawl with a vast army. Blow the trumpet in Zion! Sound the alarm!
It is too late – the enemy was cloaked by the hand of God Almighty, even as they were hooked and led by their jaws to do His will. Imminent destruction!
Will God remember? Does God see?
Awaken, oh God of Israel! Arise from your silence!
A barrage of missiles, the Iron Dome defeated. Israel was overconfident in her military might and now stands at the brink of annihilation. The mountains of Israel rumble. The ground begins to quake. He who led the enemy to do His will, will rise up and destroy it for the purpose of announcing to an unbelieving world that He intends to fulfill His covenant promises to His chosen people!
Earthquake in Israel! The ground heaves and falls, splits and groans. The army, sure of victory, is thrown into confusion. Chaos erupts. Torrential rains blind the soldiers. The ground continues to tremble.
And then – the dead arise. From the dawn of creation, those who believed in a coming Messiah, those who believed in the Messiah when He appeared, all those who believed upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross… ARISE! Let the earth bring forth her dead!
Worldwide, graves burst open. The Earth trembles, shakes, reels on its’ axis. It sways like a drunken man.
We who believe in Jesus look up. Our redemption draws nigh. In an instant, all the dead and alive in Christ are transformed – in the blink of an eye! Buildings topple around us. Bridges collapse. The earth continues to sway and groan. This occurs at lightning fast speed, but it feels like slow motion. For those who follow Jesus – we are untouchable, there is no fear. Another blink of the eye – we are before the throne of God. The splendor of His majesty is before us. We are overwhelmed! We fall on our faces before Him and cry,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! Who was, and is, and is to come! Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain! Worthy to receive glory and honor and power forever!”
On the earth – terror.
The western coast of North America slips and the Cascadia Subduction zone heaves. The entire Ring of Fire erupts in earthquake activity of the like never before seen. Global volcanic activity is triggered. Back in Israel, hail, fire, and brimstone rain down upon her attackers and the nations from which they came. What began as divine judgment on the troops surrounding Israel has expanded to include the whole world.
The air is thick with smoke, terror, and gloom. The atmosphere fills globally with ash and smoke. The days are darkened, the moon appears blood red.
In the heavens – war.
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. (Revelation 12:3-4)
…and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. (Revelation 6:13)
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)
There is no longer a place or purpose for the accuser of the brethren in heaven, as they have all arrived; there is, momentarily, no one left to accuse. The dragon, that devil of old called “satan”, comes down in great wrath upon those who dwell on the earth.
The days of darkness have arrived. Gloom, terror, death, and destruction. Those who refused to love the truth and so be saved will now experience the judgment found in the great and terrible Day of the Lord.
It has begun.
In Hollywood, the time period that you have entered is usually called “The Apocalypse”. In the Bible, the time period you have entered into is called “The 70th Week of Daniel”, “The Day of the Lord”, “That Day”, and “That Great And Terrible Day”. In church language, it is commonly called “the Tribulation” or “The 7 Year Tribulation”. It is generally agreed upon that it will last for a period of approximately seven years, although some believe it might last as long as ten.
Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the Lord is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. (Isaiah 13:6-9)
The Bible speaks of the “time of the End” as being similar to labor pains and childbirth. When the Apocalyptic period arrives, there will be no mistaking it. It will be marked all at once by the start of:
- widespread war (think, WW3 scale)
- global earthquakes
- global famines
- global pestilences
- terrors and great signs from heaven
Collectively, “all these“, together, are the “beginning” of birth pains for the earth.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24) 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Mark 13) 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (Luke 21)
It will begin suddenly and unexpectedly:
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” (Luke 21:34-35)
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)
These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: “Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale? Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:4-7)
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
I am dismayed so that I cannot see. (Isaiah 21:3)
Now why do you cry aloud?
Is there no king in you?
Has your counselor perished,
that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion,
like a woman in labor,
for now you shall go out from the city
and dwell in the open country;
you shall go to Babylon.
There you shall be rescued;
there the Lord will redeem you
from the hand of your enemies. (Micah 4:9-10)
For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant. (Isaiah 42:14)
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matthew 24:7-8)
Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. (Luke 21:23)
Every single person on earth will react in fear. They will try to hide from what they correctly recognize as God’s wrath, as they cry “who is able to stand?”
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17)
The answer is no one, at least, not on earth – “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
Taken, Or Left?
Prior to the beginning of the time of the apocalypse (the 70th Week of Daniel), God has promised to remove His true followers from the earth. I mentioned this in a previous chapter, as I am one who has disappeared. This did not take me by surprise, because I was expecting to be snatched away suddenly! This view, called the “pretribulation rapture of the church” was largely mocked – even within the church itself. But that mocking also fulfilled Bible prophecy:
…you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 2:3-7)
Since there will be some type of deceptive excuse for what happened to me and others like me, I want to give you some of the verses that confirm what has truly occurred:
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9)
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)
Listen! I am telling you a mystery: We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed [allasso], in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place:
Death has been swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting?
(1 Corinthians 15:51-55)
“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1-3)
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken [received] and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken [received] and the other left. (Matthew 24:40-41)
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pains, so we were before You, Lord. We became pregnant, we writhed in pain; we gave birth to wind. We have won no victories on earth, and the earth’s inhabitants have not fallen. Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring out the departed spirits. Go, my people, enter your rooms and close your doors behind you. Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed. For look, the Lord is coming from His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal the blood shed on it and will no longer conceal her slain. (Isaiah 26:17-21)
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
God has clearly foretold this event in scripture. The unbelieving world will have to scramble to provide a cover-up story for this disappearance. Satan will step in with his elaborate long-prepared reasons, and most will be deceived:
And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 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 coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12)
The Holy-Spirit sealed body of Christ, the truly born-again, restrained the “revealing of the lawless one” and the full expression of the “mystery of lawlessness” – that is, the antichrist and the time of unbridled satanic activity upon the earth. God Himself will send a delusion upon those “left behind” that they might believe satan’s lies.
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. (Matthew 24:24-25)
You have been warned. Do not believe the deception that is being unleashed upon humanity! There are some who are elected to salvation – please choose Jesus!
Proceed to Chapter 4 – Act 2 – The First 1260 Days
Red Moon Rapture 