Dr. Couch, are there any signs that the rapture may happen soon?
ANSWER: The Bible gives no signs for the rapture of the church, though there are some markers that may indicate we're getting closer. In other words, we're getting closer to the coming tribulation because the Jews are back in the land as prophesied. And the rapture takes place just before the tribulation.
The apostle Paul said that he was in a period of apostasy but he also spoke of a future and final apostasy that would come in the last days. "The Spirit says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits ..." (1 Tim. 4:1). "Realize that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of money ..." (2 Tim. 3:1). These days obviously come upon the people before the rapture. I believe we are in these times now, so the rapture is soon.
The order then is: 1. apostasy, 2. rapture, 3. tribulation, 4. return of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom. The key to all of this is that Israel will be back in the land, which it is now!
I believe there are two stages in the end-time apostasy. There is (1) the falling away (the apostasy) of the church, and, (2) the cultural apostasy, when the culture gets worse because the light of the church has gone out.
The cultural apostasy is described in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. "For MEN (the lost, not the church) will be lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, revilers, etc." (v. 2). The church apostasy is described in 2 Timothy 4:3-5. "For the time will come when they will endure sound doctrine, … they will turn away from the truth ..." (v. 4). Church apostasy: "They will fall away from the faith ..." (4:1).
We are now going into the church apostasy AND the cultural apostasy. The culture is getting worse because the churches are no longer influencing the culture. When I was growing up cultural apostasy was held back by the churches. There was prayer before sports events. TV stations opened and closed with pastoral devotionals and prayer. But no more! There was prayer over the PA system at school, along with Bible reading brought by the Student Council. There were musicals for Christmas and for Easter at the public schools. The Gideons could pass out their Bibles at school.
Yesterday, New York state endorsed same-sex marriages, so cultural apostasy is growing rapidly. A sign that we are getting closer to the rapture, though I'm not a date-setter. These are indicators that we're getting closer to the total collapse of the culture, and thus the rapture is nearer than before!
We have some witnessing tracts that can help people with these issues. God bless and thanks for asking.
—Dr. Mal Couch (7/11)
