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oil (oil being the symbol of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of believers). They had not allowed God to prepare them -- through their own disobedience they had not yielded themselves to Him and thus had no intimate relationship with Him. Their relationship was casual. Paul exhorts us (in Phil. 3, v. 14) to press on towards the mark of the "upward calling of God in Christ Jesus." Now if there is an upward calling, there is also a low calling. Paul speaks of pressing into the upward calling, so it takes something from outside (the Holy Spirit's work) and something from within (our response to the Spirit's action).

          Those left behind will be those saying, "Lord, Lord, we cast out demons, we did all these great works for you, etc., etc." But Jesus had warned the Pharisees (Matt. 7 v. 21) that only "he who does the will of my Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." For it is possible to generate much spiritual activity that is born of the flesh. For example, a person could conceivably go to India, join Mother Theresa, and work with the poor out of purely humanistic motivations, whereas God may have another path for them to take. This is why communion with Him is the prerequisite for all spiritual and ministerial activity. Only those who are doing the personal bidding of their Father will be ready for Rapture before the tribulation.

          In Matthew 24, vs. 45-51, Jesus described two different servants, a wise one and an evil one; but we must carefully consider that the disposition of their  hearts is the qualifying factor in the determination of their destinies. The wise  servant is feeding his household with meat (a symbol in the scripture of strong truths) whereas milk is the elemental truths of the Bible.

          But the evil servant is one who sees Christ's return, in his heart, as being delayed, or far-off -- thus fixing his sight on the present, worldly concerns. If we perceive Christ's return as imminent, our entire perspective will be changed. Many today want to remand the study of prophecy and end times to the bottom shelf, out of fear, or lack of discipline -- but we are being called "to study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Tim. 2, v. 15). The pre-tribulational Rapture is for those overcomers who watched and prepared themselves -- not for those intoxicated by earthly concerns -- building worldly kingdoms for themselves; God weighs even the motivations of our actions, searching the thoughts and intents of the heart.

          In Matthew 24, v. 27, Christ makes a curious statement: "For as lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West, so shall the coming of the son of Man be."  Usually we take these verses to explain the swiftness of Christ's return; but another possible explanation, though speculative, may be that Jesus will return to Rapture those waiting when Russia's nuclear arsenal is sent flying like lightning from the East (Eastern nations) towards the West (Western nations). This could easily explain the fire that will fall when Lot (as a type of Rapture) is taken, and Elijah is taken up in a fiery chariot.