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          All these preceding prophecies bring us full circle to the one blessed hope for believers -- the stealing away by Christ of His Bride who has "made herself ready." But will we be ready? That is the question!

          Jesus, (in Luke 21, vs. 34-36) warns us, "And take heed to yourselves lest at anytime your heart 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 upon 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 all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man!"

          Now these words "worthy to escape" relates to "him that overcomes" in Christ's letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. They relate the principal of judgment and reward that the Rapture will inflict upon all believers -- the faithful, prepared believers, will receive rewards while the unfaithful, unprepared, will suffer loss, as their works of wood, hay or stubble are burned up in the Tribulation. Where we have set our true affections will be revealed in that day -- either we will be joyful, loving Christ's appearance, or we will shrink back, unhappy that our well-made plans have been interrupted. It is not occasional stumbling in sins that is the qualifying principle here but rather it is the spiritual disposition of our hearts that Christ's "eyes like a flaming fire" shall penetrate. The controversy of our will, versus God's, will be played out, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." God has thus far allowed the creation to be subjected to vanity over just this point; and it cannot be understated: from the rebellion of Lucifer and his demons, to the rebellion and fall of man -- the battle of the wills has subjected man and beast to death and destruction -- but in the mind of God this conflict had to be addressed once and for all. From Genesis to Revelation, God will prove to all eventually that He knew what was best for all creation, but let man and the devil press self-will to self destruction before He pulls the plug at His return. So the Rapture of the church will not deal with salvation, for "salvation is free, to whosoever will," but instead it will be the judgment of our works.

          Jesus prophesied (in Luke 17, vs. 28-29), "As it was in the days of Lot they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be when the Son of Man is revealed."

          So we see from these verses, that immediately after Lot leaves Sodom (a type of the Rapture) fire will fall. When God removes His overcomers, and the Holy Spirit's restraining power (working through them to hold back evil) is removed, Satan and his demons will move right in with destruction. Notice also that Elijah the Prophet (a type of those who will be Raptured) is taken up to
heaven in a fiery chariot, again figuratively showing us that immediately following the Rapture of the Church the fires of judgment will fall.

          Revelation 3 (v. 3) warns us, "Remember therefore how thou hadst received and heard; hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I  will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." Interestingly enough, immediately after the Last Supper, Jesus took Peter, James and John up with