In a couple Scripture references, Jesus criticized the religious leaders of the time of His first coming. One of these Scriptures is found in Luke 12:54-56:
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, “There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern the signs of the times? Luke 54-56
I happened on a video by Jonathan Cahn that referred to the time we are living in. The urgency he expressed is the same urgency I am feeling in my own soul. Below is a word for word transcription of his short message. I pray that what you read below touch you as a believer and follower of Christ. The urgency expressed in the message is not misplaced. We should recognize the signs of the times in our generation because Jesus’ return for His own is at the door! Maranatha!
Forever in His Service,
Jake (aka Jack)
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What if I told you the final trumpet is already echoing in the distance, that the sky is preparing to open and the King is ready to descend? What is the Rapture isn’t some far off event but closer than your next breath? Brothers and Sisters, we are living in prophetic times. The signs are not hidden, they are screaming from the headlines, crying from the earth, and echoing through the heavens. We are not waiting for the end times to begin, we are in them! The clock is not just ticking, it’s racing. The Rapture is not a distant theological concept or an abstract idea reserved for the far off distant future. It is an imminent ever approaching reality. The signs are all around us echoing through Scripture and current events alike.
The Biblical warnings were never meant to sit idle on the pages of prophecy. They were written to awaken, to stir and to prepare God’s people for what is coming. The Rapture according to the Word of God will be a sudden and supernatural moment. It will come in the twinkling of an eye, without warning, without time to react. That’s what makes it so urgent. We are not promised a countdown clock. We are not promised a warning bell the night before. What we are promised is that the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and in that moment the faithful will be caught up to meet Him in the air.
For generations people have asked when it will happen, but Jesus Himself said that no one knows the day or the hour — not even the angels in heaven. The purpose of this mystery is not to create confusion but to compel preparation. If we knew the exact moment of His return, human nature would lead many to wait until the last minute to repent, to return to surrender. But because we do not know, we must learn to live every day as if it were the day. That is the heartbeat of true readiness. To say the Rapture is closer than we think. is not just a statement of timeline, it is a warning of the condition of our hearts. Are we awake? Are we watching? Are we living as though the King could come at any moment, because He could and when He does, there will be no time left to prepare. The books will be closed, the door will be shut, the time to choose will have passed.
That is why the urgency is so great. It is not to create fear, it is to call people to life. The Rapture is not a threat to the faithful, it is a promise. But only those who are ready will experience its glory. We are no longer waiting for the end times to begin. We are living in them! The evidence is not hidden or symbolic, it is playing out in real time across the world. The prophecies that were once thought to be distant warnings have now become daily headlines. Scriptures foretold wars and rumors of wars, of nations rising against nations, and of lawlessness abounding. These aren’t vague possibilities, they are precise realities. Our world is shaking politically, morally, spiritually, and environmentally; from pandemics and economic instability to global conflicts and societal division. The birth pains described by Jesus in Matthew 24 are intensifying.
What’s even more telling is the spiritual climate. The apostle Paul spoke of a great falling away where people would no longer endure sound doctrine but would turn to teachers who speak only what their itching ears want to hear. That prophecy is unfolding now. Many churches no longer preach repentance or the return of Christ. Holiness is mocked, compromise is celebrated and truth has been traded for relevance. The love of many has grown cold and even believers have become desensitized to sin. Evil is no longer hidden in the shadows. It ios flaunted in broad daylight. The very things that once caused shame are now celebrated with pride. These aren’t random events, they are prophetic patterns. The Bible speaks of them, not to alarm us but to awaken us.
When Jesus said to watch the signs, He meant that they would be visible, just as the budding of the fig tree signals the nearness of summer, the shaking of the world signals the nearness of His return. It’s not about fear, it’s about alignment. It’s about recognizing the hour and understanding that we are not just passing through another chapter of history. We are standing at the edge of eternity. To ignore the signs is to walk blindly toward a cliff. But to descent them is to walk in wisdom, to be spiritually awake, and to prepare our hearts. This is not the time to be lukewarm or complacent. The urgency of the hour demands that we return to our first love, stand firm in truth, and live with our eyes fixed on the heavens because the Rapture is not a myth, it is the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar.
In the days of Noah, the people ate, drank, married, and carried on with life as usual until the flood came and swept them all away. In the days of Lot, people built homes, planted crops, bought and sold until fire fell from heaven. In both cases, judgment came suddenly and only a few were ready. The rest were asleep, not physically, but spiritually. That same spirit of slumber is present today. Many are distracted by the noise of the world, sedated by entertainment, consumed with the temporal, and oblivious to the eternal. While prophecy is unfolding and the signs of Christ’s return are screaming louder than ever, multitudes remain unaware or unconcerned. This is not accidental. It is a fulfillment of prophecy itself.
Jesus warned that before His return the world would be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. People would be busy, distracted and spiritually dull. The enemy’s strategy has never changed; lull the church to sleep, keep believers occupied with lesser things and blind the eyes of the lost to the truth. Many today are so entangled with the cares of life, cares, pleasures, ambitions, that the thought of eternity barely crosses their minds. Their spiritual lamps are empty, their hearts are cold, and they are not watching. Even in the church, spiritual apathy has crept in. The fear of God has been replaced with casual faith. The pursuit of holiness has been traded for comfort. Instead of longing for His return, many have grown comfortable in this world, forgetting that this is not our home. When the Rapture comes, it will be swift and unexpected. Those who are not prepared will be left in shock. The tragedy will not only be, in being left behind, it’s in realizing too late that you were not truly awake, not truly watching.
God is calling His people to wake up. The alarm is sounding through His Word, through world events, and through the voice of His Spirit. To be spiritually awake means to live with urgency, to prioritize intimacy with God, and to discern the times. It means living each day ready to meet Him — not some day — but today, because when the trumpet sounds, it will be too late to wake up. The time to rise from spiritual slumber is now. The door of grace is still open but it will not remain open forever.
The Rapture is not a symbolic story or a poetic idea. It is a literal event, a diving moment set in the eternal timeline of God. It is the supernatural gathering of the faithful when Jesus Christ returns in the clouds to take His people home. This is not speculation, it is clearly declared in Scripture. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 that:
“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first and then those who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
This is the blessed hope of the believer, the promise that we will not be left to endure the wrath that is to come. Throughout history God has always provided a way of escape for His people before judgment. He spared Noah in the ark before the flood. He rescued Lot from Sodom before the fire fell. He protected Israel in Goshen during Egypt’s plagues. And now, once again, God has promised to remove His people before the Great Tribulation unfolds.
The Rapture is that divine escape — not out of fear — but out of love. It is the fulfillment of Christ’s promise that He goes to prepare a place for us and that He will return to take us to be with Him. This event will be sudden and unannounced. There will be no warning, no second chances, no time to prepare in the moment. That’s why living in readiness is so essential. The Rapture will not be delayed for anyone. It will not wait for the lukewarm to become passionate or for the half-hearted to get serious. It will be swift, like lightning flashing across the sky.
Those who have been watching, waiting, and walking in obedience will be taken. Those who are distracted, asleep, or living in compromise will be left behind. This truth is not meant to create panic but to stir preparation. It is a wake-up call to the church and a final call to the world. The Rapture is not about an escape from trouble. It’s about being united with the Bridegroom and only those that are ready will hear the trumpet and will rise to meet Him. The time is near. The moment is approaching and the call is clear. Be ready! Readiness is not about knowing the date of the Rapture. It’s about living every day as if it could be today. Jesus did not tell us to predict the hour of His return, He told us to be prepared for it.
In Matthew 25, He shared the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise and five were foolish. All of them were waiting for the Bridegroom. The foolish missed their moment and the door was shut. That parable wasn’t just a story, it was a warning. It was Jesus telling us that preparation is personal and once the door closes, it won’t reopen. To be ready for the Rapture means to live in constant relationship with God — not just in religious routine. It’s not about attending church once a week or knowing Bible verses. It’s about walking in obedience, repentance, and intimacy with the Lord. It’s about keeping your spiritual lamp full of oil, which represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. When your lamp is burning, you’re not just waiting for Jesus, you’re living for Him. You’re watching the signs, you’re aligned with His heart, and you’re resisting the pull of the world. So many today have grown complacent. They believe in God but live like He’s not coming back. They know the truth but delay their obedience, but the Rapture will come without warning and at that moment there will be no time to scramble. You can’t borrow oil from someone else. You can’t rush to get right with God when the trumpet sounds. Your readiness must be built now in your choices, your lifestyle, and your heart posture.
Jesus told us to watch and pray, not just sop we don’t get caught off guard but so we remain anchored in His will. Readiness brings peace, not panic. It brings clarity in a confused world. It keeps your eyes fixed, not on the chaos around you but on the glory ahead. And when that moment comes, when the sky splits and the King returns, those who are ready won’t be surprised. They will rise with joy. They will enter into glory and they will forever be with the Lord. That is the reward of readiness. It is the calling of this hour.
The message of the Rapture is not one of fear but of faith. While the idea of sudden change and divine judgment may shake the world, for the believer it is a promise of hope, not a threat. Fear paralyzes but faith prepares. Fear looks at the darkness burn faith looks to the light. The Rapture is not meant to terrify the faithful, it is meant to awaken them, to focus their eyes on what truly matters, and to remind them that this world is not our home.
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled, I will come again to receive you to Myself.” These are not words of dread, they are words of comfort and anticipation. Living with an eternal mindset doesn’t mean running from the world, it means standing firm in the midst of it. It means living righteously, loving boldly, serving humbly, and walking faithfully — knowing that at any moment we could be called home.
Faith is what fuels that kind of life. It is what keeps the lamp burning in the midnight hour. It is what sustains the soul when the world is shaking and it is what lifts our eyes above fear, reminding us that our Savior is coming soon. In these last days, fear is rampant. People are gripped by anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty. The enemy uses fear to silence truth, to weaken resolve, and to paralyze hearts, but God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us power, love, and a sound mind.
While the world trembles at the unknown, the children of God should stand with peace and purpose. We are not in the dark about what is coming. We have the prophetic Word, the Holy Spirit, and the promise of Christ’s return. That is our anchor. The Rapture is not something to avoid thinking about. It’s something to long for. It is the great reunion between the bride and the Bridegroom. It is the moment when every tear will be wiped away, when every battle will be over, and when every hope will be fulfilled. And until that day, we walk by faith, not fear. We prepare, not out of panic, but out of love. We watch the sky, not with dread but with joy because, for those who belong to Him, the return of Jesus is not the end, it’s the beginning of FOREVER!
Jonathan Cahn