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Will people still have time to repent after the rapture?
Years ago, I read the Left Behind Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. The entire series captivated me as it outlined what may occur during the last days.
They based the book series on the prophecy of the last book of the Bible, Revelation. All believers in Jesus Christ had been raptured — taken up to meet Him in the air. All non-believers were ‘left behind’.
As a born-again Christian, I look forward to this day! However, I admit to praying for God to hold off until my family and friends have given their lives to Christ. I want them to spend eternity with God, and me, in heaven.
I’ve wondered if the rapture happens before they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, will they still have opportunity to be redeemed?
There are differing opinions on the sequence of the last days. However, if we accept the order of the Rapture, followed by the Tribulation, then the Second Coming, there is hope for them.
Rapture
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17, NIV).
Tribulation
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 3:10, NIV).
Second Coming
The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords (Revelation 19:11–16, NIV).
Given this order, there is still hope. According to Revelation, those believers who are killed during the Tribulation will go to Paradise.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been (Revelation 6:9–11, NIV).
However, the Tribulation is not something I want anyone to go through — least of all my family. God’s wrath will be spilled out during this time.
It will be seven years of great and terrible disasters. There will be earthquakes and darkness (Rev. 6:12), the stars will fall out of the sky (Rev. 6:13), mountains and islands will move (Rev. 6:14), the ocean will become blood(Rev. 8:8–9), and the water will become poisoned (Rev. 8:10–11).
It will be so horrific that people will want to kill themselves. However, they won’t be able to.
During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them (Revelation 9:6, NIV).
The good news?
According to David Jeremiah, “Paradoxically, this (the tribulation) will be a time of the greatest suffering and persecution the world has ever seen while also being a time when the greatest wave of genuine conversions ever will take place. This multitude of redeemed ones will come from those who were still unsaved at the time of the Rapture.”
The rapture will be a glorious day for born-again believers. My prayer is that my family and friends will be included in this group. But if not, I pray they will confess Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour during the Tribulation and be saved for eternity.
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