For nearly two thousand years, Christians have been living in a parenthesis, a prophetic interval, a time “in between.”

During this prophetic interval, sometimes known as the Church Age, both Jews and Gentiles who are born again through faith in Christ become part of the body of Christ or the bride of Christ. The signal that the “in between” time has ended will be the removal of the Church (the bride of Christ) from the earth. This great event is described in a number of Bible portions. One of the clearest is 1 Thessalonians 4:13- 18.

The event that ends the Church Age and ushers in the seventieth week of Daniel’s prophecy is the return of Christ for His Church. This coming of Christ in the air is known as the Rapture of the Church; it involves the resurrection of the Christian dead as well as the exit from earth of all believers living at that time.

With the removal of the Church, earth plunges into its most awful hour. Of this time Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). He was speaking of the seven year period known as the Tribulation, or the Time of Jacob’s trouble.

There are difficult days ahead for Israel and for the world. This unprecedented period of Tribulation is not to be confused with daily tribulations which all of God’s people pass through. And those who receive Christ before He comes will escape the coming tribulation…the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.

Are you ready for the Lord’s return?