PREPARING FOR THE RAPTURE

By Rev. Dr. Noel Monzon

spachurch.org

Today, we'll discuss the Rapture and why we're the generation poised for this moment. Let's study God's Word and recognize the urgency of our time.

I. THE RAPTURE – Christ’s Sudden Return for His Church

1. The Rapture is the imminent, pre-tribulation event where Jesus returns in the air to catch up believers, both living and dead, to meet Him in glory, sparing them from the Great Tribulation.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)

2. This passage describes a sudden, secret event where believers are “caught up” (Greek:  harpazo, meaning “snatched away”). Pre-tribulation theology holds that this event occurs before the seven-year Tribulation (Revelation 6–19), as the Church is not appointed to God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The Rapture is different from Christ's Second Coming where Jesus returns with His saints to establish His kingdom on earth (Revelation 19:11-16).

3. Current Events: 

a) In 2025 that alliances between Russia, Iran, and Turkey fulfill Ezekiel 38’s prophecy of a Gog-Magog coalition, a Tribulation precursor signaling the Rapture’s nearness. (Ezekiel 38:26).

b) A 2025 Barna survey reveals 70% of U.S. pastors see accelerating end-time signs, with 65% of Christians sensing Christ’s imminent return, driven by conflicts like Israel-Iran and Ukraine-Russia (Reuters, 2025).

C) The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) documented over 2,000 UFO sightings in the first half of 2025, a significant surge compared to prior years New York alone reported 66 Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) incidents. 

4. Note: Some Post-Tribulationists argue the Rapture occurs after the Tribulation, citing Matthew 24:29–31.

5. This passage refers to the Second Coming, not the Rapture, because it describes Christ’s visible return to earth with His angels, not a secret catching up in the air. The Church is absent from Revelation’s Tribulation chapters (Rev 6–18), thus supporting a pre-tribulation Rapture. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

II. END-TIME PROPHECIES POST-RAPTURE – The Great Tribulation 

1. After the Rapture, the Great Tribulation begins with the Antichrist's rise, reign, and the 21 apocalyptic judgments. (Revelation 6:12) 

2. The Rapture removes the Church, allowing the “man of lawlessness” to be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). Prophecies like the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17) and the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) follow after the Rapture, which later leads to Christ’s Second Coming.

3. The Church is promised exemption from God’s wrath (Romans 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

III. WE ARE THE RAPTURE GENERATION 

1. We are the generation all prior generations anticipated, as biblical signs converge, marking us as the ones who will experience the Rapture. (Matthew 24:32-34).

2. The “fig tree” symbolized Israel’s rebirth (1948), with signs like wars, famines, and deception signaling the end. The generation that sees these will witness Christ’s return, starting with the Rapture. 

3. INFO: Brandon Biggs, in his July 16, 2025, prophecy post, points to 2025–2028 as a critical window, and the Shmita Cyclethat starts in 2028-2029 mark the Rapture event, followed by the Tribulation. The Shmita (or Shemitah) cycle is a biblical, seven-year agricultural cycle mandated in the Torah for the Land of Israel (Leviticus 25:1–7; Deuteronomy 15:1–6). The term "Shmita" means "release" in Hebrew, referring to the seventh year of the seven-year cycle. The recent Shmita year was 2021–2022. The next is 2028–2029, starting September 20, 2028

4. Matthew 24:6-7. Jesus describes these as “the beginning of birth pains,”indicating an increase in frequency and intensity of conflicts as the end times approach. 

5. Current Events

a) The Uppsala Conflict Data Program reported 59 armed conflicts globally in 2023, the highest since World War II, with 2025. These align with Mt 24:6-7.

b) On July 17, 2025, the U.S. House passed the Genius Act (308-122) and the Clarity Act, which regulate stablecoins and digital assets, paving the way for a cashless society. The IMF reports 60% of countries adopting CBDCs in 2025, accelerating a cashless economy (IMF, 2025)

c) A 2025 Gartner report projects 90% of global enterprises adopting AI by year-end. AI enhances surveillance and transaction systems, enabling the Antichrist’s control over a cashless society post-Rapture. The Genius Act’s stablecoin framework, combined with AI-driven financial platforms, creates infrastructure for Revelation 13:16–17’s mark, where none can buy or sell without compliance.

d) Data from global and U.S.-focused sources from 2023-2025: Floods: 105-110. Tornadoes: 4,700-5,000. Hurricanes: 29-32. Typhoons: 13-15. Earthquakes: 50,000. 6-8 major (6.0+). Famines: 3-5.

IV. PREPARING FOR THE RAPTURE – Living Holy and Active

1. As we await the imminent Rapture, we must live holy, uncompromising lives, actively fulfilling God’s call to evangelize and prepare others. (Titus 2:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

2. Without this watchful mindset and heart posture, we risk growing lukewarm, drifting into complacency. Jesus warns in Matthew 24:42.

3. Current Events: 

a) The Lausanne Report notes that 75% of Christians now live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with Brazil and Nigeria sending 40,000 and 25,000 missionaries, respectively, shifting mission leadership from the West (Christianity Today, 2024). 

b) Tongdok Bible app and online mission courses (Global Frontier Missions, 2025) are reaching millions, with 10,000 daily conversions reported in one Asian country (home.snu.edu). 

c) The Assemblies of God, in collaboration with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, has an initiative known as MM33 (His Mandate, Our Mission). This project aims to establish one million churches by 2033. As of 2025, the WAGF reports 451,512 churches and 88,866,189 adherents worldwide across over 180 member denominations.

4. Note: Some argue believers should focus on social justice, not eschatology, citing Matthew 25:35–40’s call to serve the needy. While serving others is important, eschatology drives evangelism. (2 Timothy 4:2).

5. Do not grow complacent or compromise with a world destined for judgment. The world may mock us, but 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 promises we’ll be caught up to meet Jesus.