Don’t Give Up on the Rapture – When Waiting Becomes a Challenge – God Already has the Answers to Help that You’ve Been Looking For (KJV)

July 21, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde

There are many who feel that we are in the season of the Rapture right now. They have spent a great deal of time studying the end times prophecies as recorded in the bible, and are witnessing the first-hand accounts of what is happening in our world. Jerusalem has become a burdensome stone to all people, as prophesied.

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” — Zechariah 12:3 (KJV)

The entire region as well as the world is seeking peace and safety. World organizations, such as the Abraham Accords, and President Trump’s Board of Peace have been established to bring peace to the middle east.

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:2–3, KJV)

We know that the 7-year Peace Agreement between Israel and surrounding countries will soon happen, and will expose the antichrist.

This is the key prophecy.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…” – Daniel 9:27 (KJV)

And we also know that God’s spirit, the restrainer, must be removed prior to the antichrist being exposed.

2 Thessalonians 2:3–8 (KJV)

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

What is the “restrainer”?

Paul says there is someone or something currently withholding (“letting,” in 1611 English meaning restraining) the full revelation of the Antichrist.

We know that God’s spirit dwells in people that are “in Christ,” and have been born again. God has sent us His plan, that He will send Jesus Christ to “Rapture” them from the earth, therefore removing the “majority” of His spirit, allowing the antichrist to proceed with the agenda that God has allowed.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (KJV)

And so, we are doing what God has instructed us to do… Watch and wait…

“Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

Mark 13:35–37 (KJV)

For many, this has been a very challenging part of the end times for them. Watching…waiting…Watching…waiting. Is this the position that you are finding yourself in? I can tell you that it is personally a challenge for me too.

Just as with everything else, we can find the answers in the scriptures. God KNOWS that watching and waiting can be a challenge for us. Let’s turn to Him for some advice and answers to help us during this period of time:

1. Watch and pray

Watching is connected with prayer.

Luke 21:36 (KJV)

“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.”

Prayer keeps our attention on Christ instead of being consumed by fear or distraction. PRAY for PATIENCE and STRENGTH!

2. Wait with patience

God often links waiting with trust.

Psalm 27:14 (KJV)

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Notice the promise: while we wait, He strengthens our hearts. When our minds shift into realizing that we are TRUSTING God, and not just waiting, our burden becomes lighter. This will be an effective part of waiting.

3. Be still

Waiting includes resting in God’s sovereignty.

Psalm 37:7 (KJV)

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him…”

The verse also warns against becoming discouraged by the apparent success of evil people. That’s right… I said it out loud… We all see what seems to be an “easier” life that those who have no desire or interest in Jesus Christ might be having right now. Let me call it out for what it appears to be, because it is important to know that we are NOT playing the short game. We are playing for eternity!

Our main objective is to promote Jesus Christ and His gospel right now. As “watchers” many of us are reporting the harassment of the adversary, and feel like we are being ganged up on by his “angles.” In all reality, that is very true! Think of this for a moment…

The most widely cited estimate is that about 117 billion people have lived on Earth throughout human history. One third of the spirits followed satan. We can roughly estimate that 39 billion is the total of spirits who rebelled, and have been assigned to torment “God’s Children.”  People who are born-again or evangelical estimates range from 300 million to over 700 million worldwide. If we were to use 700 million for this example, that would mean that 167.14 evil spirits are assigned to one born again believer. YES, we are being ganged up on!!!

Understanding this helps clarify why we feel burdened or discouraged in our waiting. But remember, God’s power is no match for all of these “fiery darts” BUT we MUST include Him in our battle.

4. Hope quietly

Lamentations 3:25–26 (KJV)

“The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

Biblical waiting is hopeful rather than hopeless.

5. Do not grow weary

The waiting can be long, but Scripture encourages perseverance.

Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

We shall reap! Do we sometimes loose our focus on the prize; to live with God forever in heaven? We must remember why we are sacrificing right now…Not for momentary comfort or pleasure but for an eternity of receiving the Best of the Best!

6. Look for His appearing

Paul described believers as eagerly anticipating Christ’s return.

Titus 2:13 (KJV)

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

Our focus is not merely on world events but on Christ Himself.

7. Be patient like a farmer

James gives a beautiful picture of patient expectation.

James 5:7–8 (KJV)

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord…

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

A farmer cannot force the harvest; he faithfully tends the field while waiting. Likewise, believers are called to remain faithful while waiting for Christ.

I realize the generation that we live in. I find myself tapping my foot, impatiently waiting for the microwave to finish a 2 minute warm up. We live in a world of “immediate” solutions, so when it comes to waiting it is difficult for all of us…especially when those days turn into months and years.  We KNOW that the harvest is coming… God has a plan…We KNOW. It WILL Happen. It is now up to us, to include God in managing our emotions of impatience

8. Occupy until He comes

Waiting does not mean withdrawing from faithful service. This is a big one for me, and I hope that it will help many of you.

Luke 19:13 (KJV)

“…Occupy till I come.”

Get yourself out of the mindset that you are simply waiting for the rapture and nothing else. For many of us, this is actually the truth, for we have come to realize that nothing else matters to us right now. However, this makes the waiting more difficult. We need to occupy our time with other things. This includes serving others, sharing the gospel, loving one another, and using the gifts God has given us.

In my professional career, I spent a great deal of time with the elderly in caring for them. Can I tell you how lonely many of these people are?

I would bring a patient a flower out of my yard, and you would have thought that she had just won the lottery. There are so many people withing your very own community who feel very alone. Elderly, single parents, kids without friends, and I must also say that the majority of people living in these last days.

Today, right now, offer a prayer to God, and ask that you be led to someone who needs your love and attention because they are struggling. Then listen. Pay attention to what is happening around you, and He will guide you to those who are struggling. And just as important, ask God how you can help them. A plate of brownies, a simple text of reaching out, or even letting chickens loose in their house to brighten their day…=)  Whatever it is, it doesn’t need to be complicated, just spend your day loving people and showing them that there is someone still left on earth who genuinely cares.

9. Comfort one another

The hope of Christ’s return is meant to encourage believers.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (KJV)

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout…

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Paul’s response to the promise of the Lord’s coming is not speculation, but comfort. Jesus Christ is coming to rescue us from not only what is coming, but the life that we are living right now. It is difficult, because of all of the negative forces that are against us, and He is coming to save us…Literally!

10. Love His appearing

Paul ended his life looking forward to Christ.

2 Timothy 4:7–8 (KJV)

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness… unto all them also that love his appearing.”

For many of you who understand the Judgment Seat of Christ, you also know that there will be “rewards” or “crowns” given to His children for specific accomplishments. This crown mentioned will be your reward for the belief in His return, and all of the sacrifice in waiting for Him and longing for His return. You are not struggling for no reason. Jesus will bestow a crown upon you for watching and waiting for His return. The Christian life is marked by enduring faith and a longing for Christ’s return.

11. Be sober and alert

Peter summarizes the attitude believers should maintain.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)

Have you felt this? I have! There are some days filled with discouragement in waiting, and guess whose there? That’s right…  The lion. And there are times when I feel devoured in this discouragement, and that’s when I realize that sometimes I am trying to do this all by myself, rather than ask God for His help.

Watching involves spiritual alertness as well as expectation.

A biblical picture of “watching and waiting”

Taken together, these passages show that watching and waiting means:

• Watching for Christ, not living in fear.
• Praying continually.
• Trusting God’s timing instead of forcing our own.
• Remaining faithful in daily obedience.
• Encouraging other believers.
• Sharing the gospel while there is still opportunity.
• Looking forward to the “blessed hope.”
• Enduring patiently even when the wait feels long.
• Resting in the assurance that God keeps His promises.

The Bible closes with this exchange:

Revelation 22:20 (KJV)

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

That captures the heart of biblical waiting: believers live with expectancy, continue faithfully in the work God has given them, and keep their hope fixed on Christ until He comes. I pray for all of you, and I hope that you will pray for me as well.

We are SO CLOSE to being rescued by our Savior…which means that we are so close to embracing Him and expressing our love for Him. It means that we are also so very close to obtaining a perfect body! No more sickness or disease. No more stress or discomfort. Just a peaceful existence in developing a deeper relationship with the Savior. He will spend all of the time that you need in processing all of the challenges that you have faced in this life. You will be in the presence of someone who “see you” and understand fully all that you are.

Personally, there are many things that I have buried deep in my heart…the death of my sone is one of those things. My heart is not fully healed, but it WILL BE, as I spend time with the Savior and asking for His help in healing my heart. Jesus Christ has saved us from Sin, and He will completely heal us as well. Many of us are “dented” and long for His resolution of broken hearts…FOREVER! Not just patched up, but healed forever.

So, a final word of encouragement. Stay Busy right now, and INCLUDE God while we wait. Ask for patience and strength, for He will provide this as your solution. I have long abandoned the prayer for an easier life, for that is not God’s desire for us… In His wisdom, He would rather have us discover our need for HIM, and draw upon His strength to see us through our challenges. Let us all recognize this as the greatest part of our solution in managing our emotions through these last few days. AMEN?  …AMEN!