Furthermore, the Bible presents making this choice as not only important,
but urgent.
Hebrews 3:15; etc.
Delay is never advocated, and procrastination is portrayed as dangerous
and tantamount to disaster. By the time a person dies, their decision
will have been irrevocably made for or against God–there is no second chance
after death. Hebrews 9:27 Before Jesus
returns at His second coming every person still living will have made their
decision irrevocably for or against God–there will be no second chance
after Jesus returns. Revelation 22:11,12
About that the Bible is unmistakably clear.
The Left Behind book series, based on the rapture
theory, leaves this truth behind. It describes Jesus second coming
as a secret coming whereby he catches away all those who are ready for
Him at the time, leaving behind billions of others to live through a seven-year
tribulation during which they will have a second chance to get ready for
His third coming. Left Behind describes a pre-taped message
left by the raptured pastor of Rayford Steele's ratpured wife in which
he explains what has happened: "It doesn't make any difference, at this
point, why you're still on earth. . . . The point now is, you have another
chance. Don't miss it."
That's why the rapture theory is so dangerous. Not simply because
it teaches that Jesus' second coming will be secret when it
won't be. But even more so because billions of people who rely
on the rapture theory may be counting on a second chance to turn to God,
a second chance that doesn't exist! True, during this life God provides
us with many chances. But once Jesus returns, it's over.
Do you have a personal relationship with God? The very fact that
you have been drawn to this study is evidence that you are responding at
some level to God's appeal. (What it means to have a personal relationship
with God is discussed in more detail in our web presentation, "The Truth
of the Spotted Leopard," which can be accessed from our home page.)
No matter where you've been in your relation to God previously, you can
begin or renew a personal relationship with God at this very moment if
you would like to.
