More Rambling

I caught some buzz on the Internet today about a low budget movie coming out later this year. "The Rapture" is filming now under the direction of one William Steel. I've seen a few Rapture related movies before that were specifically made as outreach films to the lost and speculative Biblical entertainment (hopefully to be used as a witnessing tool) for those who know Jesus Christ. They were okay for the most part. I can't even remember the titles of them all. All of them were low budget. The caliber of acting is usually fairly untried or amateur at best, and you aren't likely to see a Don Cheadle in one of these types of films.


I know nothing about writer/director/casting director William Steel and I went to the film's web site, but apparently it had been disabled, so it's difficult to determine whether or not the production is being made by Christians. If not, it could be one of the first significant films on an End Times event made by non-Christians. Oh sure, there have been End Times Films made by non-Christian filmmakers before, but those scripts were so far from anything resembling Biblical prophecy and so full of the horror film element that it made the resulting films unwatchable for me. I can't remember their titles either.


Mat 24:40 At that time two will be out in the field; the one is taken away, and the one is left;
Mat 24:41 two grinding at the mill; one is taken away, and one is left.


1Co 15:52 In a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet; for a trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed.


1Th 4:16 Because the Lord Himself shall come down from Heaven with a commanding shout of an archangel's voice, and with God's trumpet. And the dead in Christ will rise again first.
1Th 4:17 Then we who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to a meeting with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.


Mat 24:44 Because of this, you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes.


These are just a smattering of verses from passages that speak of the Rapture. Here are some other verses;


2Peter 3:3 first, knowing this, that during the last days scoffers will come walking according to their own lusts,
2Peter 3:4 and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For from which time the fathers fell asleep, all things remain so from the beginning of creation.
2Peter 3:5 For this is hidden from them by their willing it so, that heavens were of old, and earth by water, and through water, having subsisted by the Word of God,


I have unsaved friends who are very interested in the prophecies of the Rapture and the Last Days. A lot of unsaved people are. They want to know if the Rapture will actually happen, but in the cases where people have come to me with questions about it, I can't say whether it was productive or not.


Whatever one's eschatology is, Rapture, no-Rapture, pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, no trib--whatever--it is the goodness of God that leads men to repent of their sins and turn to Him for forgiveness. Can a movie like this be used by God? Sure. He uses what He will to do what He wills. Would I invite an unbelieving friend to watch it with me? Certainly not without seeing it first. If they asked me about it, maybe then.


Right now, people with a good handle on Biblical prophecy are seeing events that bring to mind the notion that we live in interesting times. It would be pretty difficult to make any sense of this world unless one takes Biblical prophecy into consideration. In the midst of a global financial meltdown, Russia has cut natural gas supplies by 20% to most of Europe in sub-zero temperatures while global organizations are still shoving man made climate change down our public throats. Israel is at the center of the world's attention, and it is currently ignoring international calls for the nation to stop defending itself against Hamas rocket attacks, while it is reported that 70,000 student volunteers have registered to be suicide bombers willing to lose their lives in order to aid Hamas efforts in Gaza.


Protests against Israel have been occurring daily in the United States and Great Britain, which comprise about the only two countries who have said they understand why Israel has moved into Gaza to defend itself, having endured almost non-stop aggression since they transferred power in Gaza into the Palestinians hands about three years ago.


Eventually, Israel will make a big mistake by entering into a peace agreement with its Arab enemies. Israel will come to the end of itself and instead of depending on God to establish peace and safety for them they will surrender themselves to solutions brought by politicians with a humanistic worldview.


Over the last few years I have noticed more secular films with warped Biblical themes being made. Sensationalistic movies and series about Nephilim have been and will likely continue to be made. Video games and comic books over the last decade especially have become unbelievably blasphemous as they twist Scripture and add and subtract from it fit an "entertainment" agenda. The kind of disgusting "adult" cartoon shows like South Park which openly mock the Savior are now common. My guess is that as we sojourn in these Last Days, and as morality declines further and further, and the honor of God is subjected to disdain, we will be presented with more and more opportunities to gently correct, to inform, and to show people the reality of the goodness of God in the gospel of Jesus, in contrast to these things. My prayer is for the body of Christ to be properly equipped and courageous enough to do so.