In That Night

Do you think about that night?

That night refers to a particular night when one person is taken and another is left behind. To be taken by the Lord is to be exempted from experiencing His wrath on sin. It is to be raptured to be with Christ before He returns to righteously judge the world’s sin. [1]

The worst sin is not to believe in the Messiah-Savior whom God sent to die on the cross as a sacrifice to atone for our sin. Jesus said, “Unless you believe I am He, you will die in your sins.” [2]

Some who believe in God have experienced terrible abuses. Some can relate well with the laments of David…

You have known my soul in adversities
My eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body
For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing
I am a reproach among all my enemies
Especially among my neighbors
Repulsive to my acquaintances
Those who see me outside flee from me
I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind
I am like a broken vessel
I hear the slander of many
Fear is on every side
They take counsel together against me
They scheme to take away my life [3]

Except for the grace of God, they would not have prevailed over the war waged against them, but the Lord did come through for them.

“As for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies’ sake.” [4]

“O, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!” [5]

Jesus foretold, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”

“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” [6]

It’s not that eating, drinking, getting married, buying and selling, planting and building are bad. It was what they refused to do that was bad. The people around Noah and Lot refused to give God glory. As a result, they were doing other things that Jesus doesn’t mention here but are mentioned in Noah’s and Lot’s stories. The people in Noah’s day were violent. The people in Lot’s city were exceedingly immoral. Finally, their day of judgment came.

“’Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.’ And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ So, He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the vultures will be gathered together.’” [7]

So, the Lord plans to rescue from divine judgment those who are in a relationship with Him. The irony is that these godly people will be living among and most likely witnessing to the ungodly when they are taken to be with the Lord.

Where will it happen? Wherever birds of prey are gathered. Jesus speaks of these birds in Revelation 19:17-18, “Eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders.” Those who have bullied and persecuted God’s people are no match for Him in that night.

Do you think about that night? 31 years ago, in 1994, the first Left Behind docu-drama was produced to alert people to Biblical prophecies about the end-times. Servants of God’s Word have been talking about the Bible’s prophecies for years. It is stunning to see how far world empires have come in being able to force false beliefs on people via fear, propaganda, and peer pressure tactics.

I pray that we will all be ready to meet the Lord.

[1] 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Acts 17:31
[2] John 8:24
[3] Psalm 31:7-13
[4 Psalm 31:14-16
[5] Psalm 31:19-21
[6] Luke 17:26-30
[7] Luke 17:32-37