Another thing holding back the rapture?

[God'sWinning]

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

How long will it be until every single human being alive in the age of accountability has heard the good news of Jesus Christ? What I'm getting from this verse is that God will wait until everyone has had a chance to come to Christ before the rapture takes place.

Ethnologue estimates there are 6,909 languages.
http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs...on.asp?by=size

According to Wycliffe, there are only 1,185 language communites that have access to the New Testament in their heart language.
http://www.wycliffe.org/about/statistics.aspx

So what about the other 5724 languages? The hundreds of millions of people who have not heard the Gospel yet?

As much as I would love to think everything is in place for the rapture to happen, this has been bothering me lately.

What do you guys think?

[Joseph The Carpenter]

Nothing is "holding back" the Rapture. GOD has known the time of the Rapture forever.

Even after the Rapture people will hear the Gospel and turn to GOD.

The Holy Spirit can come to people in any language and I have heard of stories of the Holy Spirit coming to muslims in their dreams.

[Acts5:41]

Also China. Evangelists used to go to rural towns, arrive late at night, and the whole village was out waiting for them. "We had a dream you would come and tell us of God"

According to Every Home For Christ, about 90% of the world's population has been reached with the Gospel, and that was in a book published several years ago.

One reason I support native missionaries, and a scripture booklet ministry.

[Raphael]

There is also the reported phenomenon of non-believers hearing the gospel in their own language, even though the evangelist could not speak it.

[metroames]

The Church will not fulfill the "great commission"! The rapture can happen at any moment. This is from a study I wrote on the Olivet Discourse:

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The great commission to spread the Gospel was originally given to Jesus' disciples. It spread greatly under Paul and gradually increased through the 1800's. Then after the advance of travel and technology, the Gospel started to spread like wildfire around the time of Billy Graham's ministry in 1949. So we see that the Church has been fulfilling the call to spread the Gospel for the last couple millennia.

However, the great commission will be completed during the Tribulation through the 144,000 sealed servants, the two witnesses, and an angel. Based on Isaiah 61, we know that the 144,000 servants, like Christ, will preach "good tidings", which is the good news of the Gospel.

Revelation 7:2-4 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Isaiah 61:1-6"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God.

Revelation 11:3-7 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing before the God of the earth. When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.

Zechariah 4:11-14 Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees-at the right of the lamp stand and at its left?" And I further answered and said to him, "What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?" Then he answered me and said, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." So he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth."

Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth-to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people- saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

[Silver]

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

What I'm getting from this verse is that God will wait until everyone has had a chance to come to Christ before the rapture takes place.

What do you guys think?

I have always struggled with the thought that those in unreached regions that have died already, never had the opportunity to come to Christ.

[LightOfMyLife]

Nothing is "holding back" the Rapture. GOD has known the time of the Rapture forever.

Even after the Rapture people will hear the Gospel and turn to GOD.

The Holy Spirit can come to people in any language and I have heard of stories of the Holy Spirit coming to muslims in their dreams.

I agree. God has his perfect timing for coming back to get his children, and that is when it will happen. We can't rush it even though we would like to.

[waiting1]

The Church will not fulfill the "great commission"! The rapture can happen at any moment. This is from a study I wrote on the Olivet Discourse:



The great commission to spread the Gospel was originally given to Jesus' disciples. It spread greatly under Paul and gradually increased through the 1800's. Then after the advance of travel and technology, the Gospel started to spread like wildfire around the time of Billy Graham's ministry in 1949. So we see that the Church has been fulfilling the call to spread the Gospel for the last couple millennia.

However, the great commission will be completed during the Tribulation through the 144,000 sealed servants, the two witnesses, and an angel. Based on Isaiah 61, we know that the 144,000 servants, like Christ, will preach "good tidings", which is the good news of the Gospel.

Just as metroames has quoted from the Bible. The number of the Gentiles is what needs to happen prior to the Rapture happening. This is a number of people who get saved prior to the Rapture before God sets His Sight back on Israel again, and takes it off His Bride the Church. The whole world will hear the Gospel then the end will come. The 144,000 and the Angel will be the ones commissioned to do this work.

[dianamanwaring]

Nothing is "holding back" the Rapture. GOD has known the time of the Rapture forever.

Even after the Rapture people will hear the Gospel and turn to GOD.

The Holy Spirit can come to people in any language and I have heard of stories of the Holy Spirit coming to muslims in their dreams.

I heard of that too. Joel Rosenberg mentioned that in one of his books. "Epicenter," I think???

[MelAnne]

I thought I'd read somewhere that Wycliffe has only a handful of languages to translate the Gospel into. But I was wrong. I just checked Wycliffe's website, and found that they have set a goal to complete translating the Gospel into the remaining languages by 2025. I just added the remaining languages up, and there are actually only 2252. That's still a significant number, but Wycliffe seems to think it's feasible to finish translating the Gospel into every language in the world within the next 15 years. Here's the website if you want to check the numbers for yourself: http://www.lastlanguagescampaign.org/LLC.aspx

[BarbT]

Due to the miraculous instant communication provided by the Internet, I believe the Gospel has already reached the entire world in every language.

[Guy4God]

I hold the same view as Metroames (cited above). The Gospel went out for 2,000 years and reached the ends of the earth by the early to mid-60's. Some of the last areas were the south pacific islands according to books like Peace Child, Eternity in Their Hearts and Lords of the Earth by Don Richardson (incredible books btw, that should be read if you have time). Then 1967 came with the taking back of Jerusalem by the nation of Israel and, I believe, the end began at that point.

It has been since then that the dark hand of Islam has enclosed most of the 10-40 areas, and the full rise of secular humanism, atheism, spiritism, basically all the "ism's" really took of after that. Yep folks, we are at the time of the end. Make no mistake though...God is still saving souls and will continue to do so until the end of the Trib.

[SaintTexas]

The Church will not fulfill the "great commission"! The rapture can happen at any moment. This is from a study I wrote on the Olivet Discourse:



The great commission to spread the Gospel was originally given to Jesus' disciples. It spread greatly under Paul and gradually increased through the 1800's. Then after the advance of travel and technology, the Gospel started to spread like wildfire around the time of Billy Graham's ministry in 1949. So we see that the Church has been fulfilling the call to spread the Gospel for the last couple millennia.

However, the great commission will be completed during the Tribulation through the 144,000 sealed servants, the two witnesses, and an angel. Based on Isaiah 61, we know that the 144,000 servants, like Christ, will preach "good tidings", which is the good news of the Gospel.

Very well said.

And the Lord knows the heart of every man as He is creator of all. Jesus said that not one of His would be lost. Sounds like the Lord made a promise that each of us is taken care of as far as being able to be confronted with the Gospel or searching for Him and being able to find Him at the age of accountability and knows who will choose Him and who will not. To worry over any who may not have heard the Gospel in any age is to say that God is not in control, would not provide an opporunity for all to repent, and has broken His promise that not one would be lost who was given to Jesus.

Rest in the promise of that! Anyone who calls on the Lord to be saved will be, always!

[God'sWinning]

I feel foolish now..

Thanks everyone.

[HugsFromJesus]

I feel foolish now..

Thanks everyone.

No need to feel foolish...we are all here to learn...it is neverending! I love threads like this, it encourages me when sometimes I feel like we will be here forever. I am just so anxious to go home. Keep the Faith!

[Acts5:41]

Guy, I'm guessing you are also a GFA supporter.

[Joseph The Carpenter]

I feel foolish now..

Thanks everyone.

We can only learn by asking questions.

Welcome to the board Brother.

[Christina]

The Church will not fulfill the "great commission"! The rapture can happen at any moment. This is from a study I wrote on the Olivet Discourse:



The great commission to spread the Gospel was originally given to Jesus' disciples. It spread greatly under Paul and gradually increased through the 1800's. Then after the advance of travel and technology, the Gospel started to spread like wildfire around the time of Billy Graham's ministry in 1949. So we see that the Church has been fulfilling the call to spread the Gospel for the last couple millennia.

However, the great commission will be completed during the Tribulation through the 144,000 sealed servants, the two witnesses, and an angel. Based on Isaiah 61, we know that the 144,000 servants, like Christ, will preach "good tidings", which is the good news of the Gospel.

Amen, well said!

[logosone]

I thought I'd read somewhere that Wycliffe has only a handful of languages to translate the Gospel into. But I was wrong. I just checked Wycliffe's website, and found that they have set a goal to complete translating the Gospel into the remaining languages by 2025. I just added the remaining languages up, and there are actually only 2252. That's still a significant number, but Wycliffe seems to think it's feasible to finish translating the Gospel into every language in the world within the next 15 years. Here's the website if you want to check the numbers for yourself: http://www.lastlanguagescampaign.org/LLC.aspx

That is a post-rapture reference which will be for tribulation saints.

Ay least that's the way I see it and have heard it explained.

[HumbleBerean]

Wycliffe is translating Bibles into the remaining languages right?

A bible translated in a native tongue is not needed to give the good news of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The original apostles and disciples seemed to do pretty well without it.