This commentary is taken from the book "The Next 7 Great Events Of The Future" written by Randal Ross:
"One of the final End-Time battles that will be waged against you is the enemy's last-ditch attempt to keep you earthbound. Satan would like nothing better than for you to become so rooted in the world's system that you won't long for that new heaven. If you become earthbound, you will lose the big picture. You will be unable to comprehend the wonderful events waiting for you in connection with Christ's return.
God doesn’t condemn you for not being excited about going to heaven. He realizes the pull this earth has on human beings. There is a better way, however, of looking at the Second Coming than fearing it or feeling sorry to leave the earth behind.
Remember, earth is going to become increasingly more evil. The Tribulation will unleash a horrible series of satanic attacks against mankind, and the Antichrist will rule. So this is going to be a horrible place to be. Who would want to stay? Yet there are two views. The earthly view is just what can be seen down here. It involves the mark of the beast, the Antichrist, and all the evil that will be unleashed on earth. The second view - is filled with revelation. Its the view beyond the glass. The divine view paints the Big Picture for us. It reaches beyond the bad news - that the earth is going to be a very bad place to be - to the Good News, and the return of Christ to reign for a thousand years of peace on earth.
That’s the best news I can think of - in fact, the best news of all time. He comes just in time, after two-thirds of the world's population is overcome by disease, famine, war, and pestilence. Many will beg to die, yet will not be able to do so. The waterways will turn to blood, and the sun will burn so hot that the atmosphere will be unbearable. The ultraviolet rays will be so highly concentrated that cancer will break out everywhere, just by being exposed to sunshine. People will cry out for the rocks to fall on them and put them out of their collective misery. And then it will get ten times worse. People will die of starvation by the multi-millions.
The Antichrist will come and promise peace but deliver more oppression than any dictator in history. All this because people refused to allow Jesus to rule their lives. All this because man has insisted on destroying himself. Mankind would rather accept a demonic ruler than the goodness of Christ's Lordship.
The believers have made a different decision; they chose to accept Christ and to follow Him. When the evil hits, we won't even be around to see it happen. I believe we'll have been taken out by the Rapture. And at the precise moment when the earth has been disciplined enough for her rebellion, Jesus will return, and we'll be right there with Him in the clouds.
Now, you would think that when things really get bad on earth, the people who are suffering would quickly repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness and salvation. Yet the Bible clearly paints a different picture. Peoples' hearts will become harder. They will become more stubbornly set in their ways. As many determine to continue to go their own way, a few will accept Christ as Savior, whatever the cost, even amid tremendous darkness and the persecution that will follow.
It's time to look at the End Times from the divine perspective because only then will we see the hold earth has on people. Only then will we see correctly what God is doing on earth. These events will happen - the Bible guarantees this. But how we go through them will be determined to a very large degree by what we decide right now. What will it be - God's way, His perspective - or earth's way, and more hardships and difficulties? And even as the hardships associated with being persecuted for our faith heat up, God is saying, "Be encouraged! I have you right in the palm of My hand. It's tough out there, but no one can take you out of My hand. Don’t worry; I'll protect you.""
To get yourself into God's hand, and miss out on the Tribulation, read our comment on 04/18/04 " of Your Will To God (praying for salvation)."
By George Konig
August 13, 2006
www.georgekonig.org
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