 From 1974 and until he passed away in June of 2005, Frank Caw devoted a considerable amount of time to research and study in Bible prophecy and related philosophical and theological issues. This website is dedicated by his family to his memory and work and is as he presented it at the time of his death. The family of Frank Caw, Jr. would like to thank Tim McHyde of EscapeAllTheseThings.com for hosting his website.
While always insisting on a plain, literal and sensible approach to scriptural exegesis,
he has pieced together many new scriptural insights on a number of extraordinary
prophetic developments that are poised to be fulfilled in our immediate
future!
Thus, it is safe to say that things are not going to happen the way many people think
they will happen.
But, this book will give you the scriptural keys for truly understanding what God has
preordained will happen, and how you can survive the incredible scenario of prophetic
events about to unfold! |
This ministry is dedicated to the loving memory of my
late wife, Debbie, who went to be in the presence of God on October 23, 1997, and who was
so instrumental in helping me to prepare for my ministry during those many long, difficult
years.
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Why We Will See
Armageddon
Before 2025 A.D. Or Thereabouts
An Ipsos poll says that 25 percent of adults believe it is at least somewhat likely that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in 2007 2008. Of white evangelical Christian adults it's 66%. Want to know why Jesus won't come in 2007 2008, before most find out in Jan 1, 2008 2009? »» Read Featured Article
Matthew 24:3-6
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (KJV)
Luke 21:7-9
7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. (KJV)
After Jesus had prophesied that the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed, the disciples later asked Him, privately, when these things would happen, and what would be the signs of His Coming and of the end of the age. Evidently, as far as the disciples were concerned, their religious and cultural perspective on matters made them think that all of these prophetic events would have to be fulfilled at the same time. They simply could not imagine any other outcome because the temple was the very centerpiece of their whole earthly existence. So, from their limited perspective, when their magnificent Holy Temple was destroyed (which happened in 70 A.D.), such an event would have to signal the end of the age, too.
But Jesus chose not to disclose any additional information regarding the future destruction of the Jewish temple. Instead, He addressed their two remaining questions concerning the signs that would indicate His Coming and the end of the age were near. So, we should observe that the very first thing Jesus did was to issue a warning regarding the incredible deception that would flourish throughout the earth at the time of the end. Thus, when the disciples asked Jesus: “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?” His immediate response was an urgent warning: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”
In a similar vein, the apostle Paul warned that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (II Timothy 3:13). Likewise, the apostle Paul also warned that the initial appearance of the Antichrist will be “after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders”! (II Thess. 2:9). Therefore, these scriptures clearly warn that religious and philosophical deception will flourish throughout the earth during the “time of the end.”
Jesus continued: “Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.” (Luke 21:8). It is interesting to observe that the New Age Movement teaches that all of us are really gods or divine-in-nature deep inside our psyches — it is just that we do not know it until we achieve “Christ consciousness” or “oneness with the universe” through “higher consciousness” techniques. In more recent years, they also have insisted that humanity is on the verge of a “sudden, evolutionary leap” or “transformation,” and that when sufficient numbers of people achieve a personal transformation (i.e., a mystical, pantheistic perception of reality), then all of the world can achieve a dramatic leap forward in realizing the age-old dream of world peace, prosperity and the brotherhood of all humanity embodied in a “new world order.” Thus, the apparent recent upsurge in freedom and democracy throughout the world, New Agers claim, is due in part, at least, to this “uplifting of spiritual consciousness.”
Therefore, the very first “signs” which indicate that the “end of the age” and the Coming of Christ are imminent involve the following three prophetic developments:
1. “Many false Christs (i.e., messiahs; Vine’s Expository Dictionary) who deceive many.” Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, millions of Americans and other Westerners have been caught up in a huge variety of Eastern religious cults! Many of these religious cults deceive people into thinking they are only “natural” or “scientific” techniques for relaxation and self-fulfillment. But, a closer examination reveals that they actually possess all of the characteristics of a religion as set forth in a dictionary, and that they are steeped in Eastern religion methodologies and techniques designed to achieve a higher level of consciousness. Likewise, never throughout all of history have we seen the appearance of so many self-proclaimed messiahs and gurus; they literally have proliferated into the hundreds, and even the thousands. Although there may have been a few false messiahs here and there down throughout history, never have we been deluged by a sudden, massive onslaught of false messiahs and gurus like we have experienced in our modern society.
2. The second prophetic sign heralding the approach of the “end of the age” is the onset of “commotions,” which in the Greek means “extreme social turmoil.” Thus, the endtime fulfillment of this prophetic prediction ranges from the mass urban riots and demonstrations that were a hallmark feature of the late 1960s, to the horrific onslaught of modern organized terrorism that has plagued humanity at rapidly-escalating levels of terror and destruction since the early 1970s, including the horrendous terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001. Other notable examples of extreme social turmoil (and rumors of wars) would include the nuclear and bio-chemical holocaust scares we have endured as a modern society in recent years. Foremost among these scares was the highly successful propaganda offensive that was launched during the 1980s by the Soviet Union concerning the horrors of nuclear war. Then finally, most recently, there has been the threat of radical Islamic terrorist groups using weapons of mass destruction against the United States, Europe, Israel and other areas of Western Civilization. So, it does not seem possible for anyone to argue that Western society has ever suffered a more extreme period of social turmoil and terror than what we have confronted in recent times.
3. “Wars and rumours of wars.” Please bear in mind that even though prophetic events may have been partially fulfilled on many occasions throughout history, we should always look for the complete and ultimate prophetic fulfillment. Accordingly, every aspect of a biblical prophecy must be completely fulfilled before we can truly say it has been fulfilled. On that basis then, we should observe that sometimes people will say that “wars and rumours of wars” are not a prophetic sign of the end of the world (Greek word AION, meaning “age”) because we have always been plagued by wars throughout most of history. But, Jesus was asked by his disciples to explain the prophetic signs or indicators that would signal the nearness of His Coming and the “end of the age.” So, we should give serious consideration to the hypothetical proposition that His discourse really did respond to the issues posed by His disciples — especially since it is very easy to correlate all of the prophetic events portrayed in the Olivet Discourse with apocalyptic prophecies described in Revelation and the Old Testament. Therefore, even though Jesus chose to withhold any additional revelations regarding the forthcoming destruction of the Jewish temple, it makes sense that He did answer the remaining two questions.
Accordingly, the “wars and rumors of wars,” mentioned in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, are a definitive reference to a special set of horrendous conditions and circumstances that would engulf the whole world during the “last days” (Matt. 24:3-6), and only communism has demonstrated the ability to create dramatic and very violent trouble spots all over the world at once. In fact, during the 1970s and 1980s, it seemed as if countless numbers of communist-inspired wars and brush wars were exploding in hotspots all over the globe. Moreover, this geopolitical phenomenon was in stark contrast with other eras in history when wars were far fewer in number at any given moment, and were only sporadic or regional in scope, or were wars that involved massive military campaigns such as World Wars I and II. Therefore, this dramatic prophecy in the Olivet Discourse has only been fulfilled significantly in modern times.
Furthermore, Jesus even warned that the very existence of the world would appear to be threatened by these “wars and rumors of wars” and commotions (extreme social turmoil such as terrorism). His exact words of warning were: “Be not terrified, the end is not yet.” Obviously extraordinary circumstances must be associated with the fulfillment of this frightening biblical prophecy. That is why, in my opinion, this prediction achieved at least a preliminary fulfillment through the “Peace Movement” of the 1980s which was encouraged by a successful propaganda offensive launched by the Soviet Union concerning the horrors of nuclear war. The psychological environment deteriorated so badly that public sentiment sometimes even bordered on the hysterical.
However, most recently, the world has witnessed the apparent demise of the communist Soviet Empire in a possible fulfillment of the prophecy that communism would “come to the full.” (Daniel 8:23). Russia has even acknowledged, publicly, the existence of the poverty and inefficiency that plagued Soviet Russian society for many decades. Obviously the only real asset Russia has had during all of this time was a very formidable and dangerous military capability which they have modernized significantly in recent years. Therefore, it is very possible that the communist hard-liners in Moscow will try to use their massive military capability in one, last desperate attempt to restore the glory of the former Soviet Empire. If so, that will be when the communists truly “come to the full” as Daniel predicted, and the nuclear war scare of the 1980s will have been only a preliminary fulfillment of the prophecy by Jesus that world conditions would deteriorate to the point of apparent destruction. Thus, we may see the ultimate fulfillment for both of these prophecies in our immediate future, prompting the Antichrist to rescue the world from the horrors of radical Islamic terrorism and/or the threat of nuclear destruction and/or Russian military aggression...
There are several important factors we should consider very carefully when we interpret biblical scriptures, including the forthcoming passages in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. But, perhaps the foremost consideration is the methodology we employ in our interpretation of scriptures. Because if we do not understand the individual words which God is using whenever He communicates with us, we will never get very far in ascertaining His message.
Accordingly, please bear in mind that experiential common sense tells us that the Bible, generally, should be interpreted in the same manner that any other book, generally, is read and understood. Obviously God would appreciate the wisdom in using conventional modes of communication in order to minimize any possible misunderstandings. Therefore, we should give a plain, literal interpretation to a passage, in accordance with the rules of grammar and logic, unless the context very clearly indicates otherwise or a literal interpretation would not make any sense.
Unfortunately, sometimes people say we should not follow a literal and common-sense approach to our exegesis of Scripture. Instead, they say we should “spiritualize” or “allegorize” the meaning of the biblical passages we read. But, this approach to interpreting the Bible is erroneous and antithetical to truth for two basic reasons:
1. Since God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33), we must conclude that the Bible should be read and interpreted in a plain, literal manner unless the context indicates differently or a literal interpretation would not make any sense. To do otherwise makes it possible to argue a question mark after every statement in the Bible because everyone would have their own special way of interpreting the true meaning of words and statements. Therefore, any examination of the Scriptures will be much more fruitful if we use the definitions that are given to words in everyday life and in our word dictionaries.
If we do not adhere to this methodology, then under such circumstances, how could God even hold people accountable on Judgment Day? If we were consistent in applying this epistemological view of knowledge to everything in life, where everything was viewed on a spiritualized and subjective basis, how could we even communicate intelligibly following such guidelines? Everyone would have their own version of truth and understanding, and voluntary cooperation and understanding between people would be near impossible. Therefore, we obviously must assume that an infinite, rational God and Creator would understand the necessity and the wisdom for realistic and objective standards while communicating to us with human words.
2. The Bible is also full of scriptural examples where the sensical literal mode of interpretation is followed. For instance, hundreds of Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled literally, thus establishing a definite precedent in which to emulate. Jesus even chided the generation of His day for their failure to recognize the prophetic signs of the time (Matt. 16:1-14), and a primary reason for this failure was their refusal to interpret literally the prophecies concerning His First Coming, more than 300 specific predictions which Jesus fulfilled with His life, death and resurrection. Therefore, I believe that wisdom and intellectual honesty mandate we avoid such error when interpreting biblical prophecies concerning His Second Coming.
We should also observe that even though many prophetic scriptures may have been partially fulfilled previously, we should always look for the complete fulfillment of every detail in a prophecy without stretching or ignoring relevant aspects of recorded history. Accordingly, every single detail of a prophecy must be fulfilled completely before we can really say it has been fulfilled. But even then, the prophetic fulfillment must be to the fullest extent possible before we finally can say that the prophecy truly has realized its final and complete fulfillment.
As an example of how people can sometimes be misled if they ignore the aforementioned rational principles for interpreting biblical passages, sometimes it is alleged that the prophetic events in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 were actually fulfilled near the time of Jesus. Of course, in order to make this claim, they are forced to “spiritualize” the meaning of words so that words can mean anything they wish for them to mean, rather than the way they are defined in our dictionaries. They are also forced to twist and warp and ignore many aspects of recorded history in order to interpret the scriptures to mean whatever it is they wish for them to mean.
For instance, it is quite evident that the Second Coming of Christ, the Battle of Armageddon, and all of the plagues described in Revelation and Old Testament passages have never happened yet. Without any rational doubt, there is no instance in recorded history where the entire earth was demolished and destroyed by a series of Trumpet-Vial plagues featuring massive amounts of fire, and gigantic pieces of hail, and huge meteorites, and famine, and pestilence, and warfare, and incredible earthquakes that destroyed most of the people living on the earth. Yet, some people say otherwise while ignoring any evidence that invalidates their way of thinking. Or alternatively, they will apply metaphorical definitions to any words in the biblical scriptures that cannot be ignored or explained away in any other manner. So, their exegetical approach is both intellectually dishonest and irrational, and we should avoid such grievous error.
Luke 21:28-36
“And when these things BEGIN to come to pass (i.e., when we first see the prophetic signs involving false messiahs, wars and commotions), then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (i.e., Rapture) draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and ALL the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see all these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till ALL be fulfilled.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away (i.e., be changed): but my words shall not pass away. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape (i.e., flee out of) all these things (i.e., post-Rapture events described in verses 10-27) that shall come to pass, and to stand before the son of man.” (KJV)
The first thing we might observe, in the above scriptural passage, is the promise that the generation which bears witness to the initial prophetic events described in Luke 21 will also see everything else happen. That is why it is important to understand that when words such as “ye” or “you” are used in this passage, they are used as an editorial convenience, meaning that such words can be a reference to the generation of believers living at the time of the prophetic fulfillment — regardless of when that fulfillment occurs. Thus, the prophecy does not necessarily apply to the immediate audience to whom Jesus was speaking on that particular occasion. Obviously this is quite consistent with how the Bible, generally, is written because all of God’s Holy Word is intended for the enlightenment and edification of all Christian believers, not just believers who lived during the time of Jesus and His disciples.
Likewise, when Jesus said “this generation” in the passage above, He did not necessarily mean that “this generation” absolutely had to be a reference to His immediate audience. Instead, for the very same reason we noted in the previous paragraph, Jesus simply meant that whichever generation of believers witnessed the fulfillment of these initial prophetic signs would be the same generation who would see everything else happen, including the literal establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. This view is supported by the dictionary definition for the original Greek word translated here as the English word “this” because the Greek word could be translated properly as either “this” or “that.” And if we translate the original Greek word as the English word “that” instead of the English word “this,” then no one could possibly insist we necessarily must interpret this scriptural passage as a reference to the generation living at the time of Jesus. Here is what Strong’s Hebrew-Greek Dictionary states:
3778 houtos (hoo’-tos);
including nominative masculine plural houtoi (hoo’-toy); nominative feminine singular haute (how’-tay); and nominative feminine plural hautai (how’-tahee); from the article 3588 and 846; the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated):
KJV— he (it was that), hereof, it, she, such as, the same, these, they, this (man, same, woman), which, who.
Often it is said that because the fig tree sometimes symbolizes Israel in the Bible, this parable of the fig tree should be interpreted to mean that one particular generation will see both the birth of modern national Israel and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. However, please note carefully that Jesus actually said, “fig tree and all the trees,” obviously meaning all trees, not just the fig tree only. Apparently the fig tree was mentioned in this scriptural passage, specifically, because it was very popular with the Jews back then, both as a food-producing plant and as a source of shade from the hot sun. Therefore, Jesus did not say that one particular generation would see both Armageddon and the establishment of national Israel (in 1948). Instead, the simple lesson illustrated by this parable is that just as a budding tree signals the near approach of summer, so likewise will the appearance of these prophetic “signs” signal the nearness of the Return of Christ Jesus and the subsequent establishment of God’s literal Kingdom on earth. Any attempt to make this passage say anything else contrary to what is plainly stated here is a complete mistake.
In verse 28, the word “redemption” in the Greek is APOLUTROSIS, meaning the act of “ransom” in full, i.e., figuratively “riddance” or specifically Christian “salvation”; it is often translated as “deliverance” or “redemption” in the Bible. Concerning this concept of “ransom in full,” there is a three-fold process involved:
1) SOUL - “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” (Gal. 3:13).
2) BODY - “Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Rom. 8:23).
3) THE EARTH - “The redemption of the purchased possession.” (Eph. 1:14).
In other words, “redemption” will include the restoration of everything humanity lost in the Garden of Eden. Accordingly, the redemption of the soul involves the simple act of accepting Christ Jesus as personal Saviour in one’s life. Likewise, the redemption of the body will become a reality for Christian believers at the time of the pre-tribulation Rapture when they will be translated or resurrected, instantaneously and supernaturally, to Heaven with new, immortal spirit bodies. (People who become Christians after the Rapture will either be resurrected immediately after the Great Tribulation is over, or they will be translated, seven years later, just before Christ Returns to the earth.) Then finally, the redemption of the earth will be accomplished after the “seven-sealed” book in Heaven is opened during the apocalyptic events that will culminate in the Return of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon to evict Satan and his evil angels from the earth.
“Take heed... lest... your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting...” The Greek word for “overcharged” is BARUNO, meaning to “burden,” figuratively-speaking. The Greek for “surfeiting” is KRAIPALE, meaning “headache” from drunkenness, i.e., by implication a “debauch,” and by analogy a “glut.” So, the message of this verse would be a warning not to burden your heart with debauchery and gluttony and drunkenness and cares of this life — a definite warning concerning the extraordinary period of peace and prosperity that Antichrist will forge into existence to help him deceive and destroy people, spiritually, before the Rapture.
“So that day come upon you unawares.” All the prophets of God used expressions such as “that day” to indicate the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness and gloominess and judgment. That meaning is consistent with the context of this scriptural passage. Concerning the word “unawares,” the Greek dictionary defines it as “non-apparent” and “unexpected,” i.e., adverbially “suddenly.” Thus, to an unbelieving world, everything will seem fine because there will be no apparent indication that apocalyptic disaster is about to strike — a condition that will parallel precisely the circumstances that existed in the days just before Noah’s Flood struck the earth. Not surprisingly, therefore, when Antichrist performs his incredible miracles while creating an economic paradise throughout the world, it will not be very easy to convince most people that he is actually quite evil and deceptive, and that God’s devastating judgments upon the earth are imminent.
“For as a snare shall it come.” The Greek word for “snare” is PAGIS, and it is defined as “a trap to ensnare suddenly and unexpectedly.” So again, there is this reference to a sudden and unanticipated destruction “as in the days of Noah.” But Jesus also admonished us to “watch” and “pray” so that we (as Christians) will “escape” all these things. Moreover, this word “escape” is the exact same word used by the apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 5:1-10 to warn that “children of darkness” would not escape or evade the day of God’s wrath and judgment. But, here in this passage, Jesus teaches that Christians can avoid the chaos and destruction coming upon the world. It will be possible for them to “escape,” which according to the Greek dictionary means literally “to flee out of” disaster and “to get safely away from danger.”
Jesus said that no man will know “the day or the hour” of His Return. (Matt. 24:36, 42, 50). Much sensationalism and loss of credibility for Bible prophecy and Christianity, generally, could have been avoided down through the years if people had paid more attention to this warning by Jesus. However, this should not deter us from ascertaining any prophetic truth that is clearly taught in Scripture. Accordingly, the above passage in Luke 21:28-36 does, in fact, give us scriptural clues as to when God’s Kingdom and the Coming of Christ will be near in time. Likewise, the apostle Paul also addressed this same matter:
I Thessalonians 5:1-10
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (KJV)
“Day of the Lord” is defined by a careful, analytical reading of various biblical scriptures to be the “great day of God’s wrath” upon the world sometime AFTER the pre-tribulation Rapture has occurred. It will last for a period of seven years during which time the seven Trumpet-Vial Plagues of fire will demolish and melt much of the world before culminating in the Second Coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon. Moreover, when you read the following scriptural references in Revelation which describe the “Great Day Of His Wrath” — a period of time which is ushered in by the events of the Sixth Seal, and highlighted by the seven Trumpet-Vial plagues — they sound remarkably similar to the descriptions of the Day of the Lord found in the Old Testament prophecies describing Armageddon and the period of time just prior to the Battle of Armageddon. Hence the inevitable conclusion they are one and the same.
Therefore, the Day Of The Lord can NOT refer to any period of time AFTER the Millennium, but instead it must refer to the seven-year period of Divine judgments that will culminate in the Battle of Armageddon. (Rev. 6:12-17) (Rev. 8:1, 2, 5-13) (Rev. 9:1-19) (Rev. 11:13-15) (Joel 2:1-11) (Joel 2:28-31) (Isa. 24:17-23) (Isa. 13:6-13) (Zech. 14:1-3) (II Peter 3:10-12) (Zeph. 1:14-18) (Amos 5:18-20) (Isa. 2:10-21). Furthermore, just as the Rapture will happen suddenly and unexpectedly, so likewise will the “Day of the Lord” come “as a thief in the night,” without warning. That is because the Day Of The Lord should be viewed as an integral part of the continuous, ongoing process of apocalyptic destruction that will begin immediately after the Rapture occurs.
“Peace and safety; then sudden destruction...” Contextually-speaking, the scriptural phrase “sudden destruction” is an obvious direct reference to the “Day Of The Lord” mentioned in the previous scriptural verse. Thus, the expression, “peace and safety,” must be an explicit allusion to a very specific period of time, i.e., the deceptive period of peace and prosperity that will be inspired by Antichrist until the pre-tribulation Rapture ushers in a catastrophic period of tribulation, judgment, death and destruction. Therefore, because the period of “peace and safety” in the above passage is followed immediately by “sudden destruction” during the Day Of The Lord, it obviously correlates with the prophetic scenario associated with the Antichrist.
This view is even confirmed in the very same scriptural sentence: “Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child.” Since Revelation 12 uses this very same symbolic “woman in travail” to portray the Rapture, this proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the prophetic events described in this scriptural passage should be associated, contextually, with the Rapture. Moreover, we should observe that the passage in I Thessalonians 5:3 stipulates that the “sudden destruction” and “a woman travailing with child” occur together almost simultaneously. Therefore, in essence, this passage is saying that peace and safety will be ended abruptly when the Rapture begins a process of judgment and destruction.
Paul continues by saying that since we (as Christians) are “the children of light” and “not of the night, nor of darkness,” we should “not sleep as others” but should “watch and be sober.” The word “watch” comes from the Greek word GREGOREUO, and it means to “keep awake” (literally or figuratively) and is sometimes translated as “vigilant.” In verse 4, Paul states that because we “are not in darkness,” that day (i.e., “Day of the Lord”) should not overtake us as a thief.
However, in verse 3, Paul says that the children of darkness will not “escape” the “sudden destruction” which will strike the world. The word used here in the Greek for the word “escape” is EKPHEUGO — the same word we saw in Luke 21 — and, again, it means to “flee out” of danger. Accordingly, the message of this passage is a very blunt warning that non-believers will not be able to flee from the coming destruction which will occur during the Great and Terrible Day Of The Lord.
But, in contrast, God has not appointed Christians to “wrath,” but to “salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (verse 9). It is interesting to note that the word “wrath” comes from the Greek word ORGE, and it means violent “passion” or justifiable “abhorrence,” which by implication means “punishment.” Accordingly, since God obviously does not “abhor” (i.e., detest) those who have accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, He has appointed or destined us “to obtain salvation.” Furthermore, the word “salvation” in the Greek is SOTERIA, and it means “rescue” or “safety” in a physical or moral sense, and is translated throughout the Bible as “deliver, health, salvation, save and saving.” So, obviously the dictionary definition agrees with the context of this passage in giving the word “salvation” the meaning of “rescue to safety,” i.e., the Rapture.
It should be emphasized Paul taught that since we, as Christians, are the “children of light,” we should not be caught unawares when the “Day of the Lord” approaches. In like manner, Jesus scolded the religious hypocrites of His day for their failure to discern the “signs of the times.” Furthermore, the prophet Daniel said that complete understanding of his “end-time” prophecies would be hidden and “sealed till the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:9) (cf. Dan. 8:17, 19, 26, 27). So, all of these biblical scriptures make it very clear we can know “when the hour is near.”
Accordingly, since Jesus promised that one generation would see the fulfillment of all the “end-time” prophetic events that are described in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, we can draw some possible inferences about the general “prophetic time-line” with which we are dealing. On that basis, unless God or modern science extends the average life-time for people living during “the time of the end,” one generation’s adult life-span — according to biblical scriptures — is approximately 50 years in length (Ps. 90:10) (Num. 1:2-3). Therefore, if I am correct in believing that the first signs (i.e., false messiahs, wars, and commotions) commenced their initial fulfillment during the late 1960s and early 1970s, then 50 years from that approximate period of time would place us in the time-period of 2020-2025 A.D. as the very latest possible date for Armageddon and the literal establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. So, in other words, perhaps Armageddon will occur sometime before 2025 A.D. or thereabouts.
Moreover, if Armageddon must happen sometime before the year 2025 A.D., then the approximate date of 2014 A.D. or thereabouts would be the latest possible date for the Rapture since there are at least ten and one-half years between the pre-tribulation Rapture and Armageddon. But, in view of the fact that the cities of Babylon and Tyre have yet to be rebuilt into centers of world trade and commerce, it might seem as if we could be pressed for sufficient time for everything to happen as the Bible predicts — although things could surprise us by happening very swiftly once they begin. However, perhaps it will be possible for Babylon and Tyre to continue their accumulation of wealth and power, after the Rapture, even though death and destruction will begin to strike the earth immediately after the Rapture occurs. If so, that would give us more time for Babylon and Tyre to achieve the level of power and wealth that the Bible predicts they will enjoy at the time of their destruction, near the time of Armageddon itself. Accordingly, it is not possible for anyone to pinpoint the exact time of His Coming; the best we can do is to observe the prophetic signs carefully and scripturally in order to know, as the apostle Paul explained, when the time is near.
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