Most of the teaching about the rapture will, at some point, deal with the statement from the book of Revelation about Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:8). When I have read some of their explanations, they try real hard to get Gog and Magog to be Russia and China. They will do a geography lesson of one kind or another to convince their followers of the certainty of these two nations being the one under consideration in the book of Revelation. Each time I have read their writings it is always couched in the language of “I’m pretty sure” that is what is meant. Would we not think if salvation of man hinges on such knowledge that being “pretty sure” is not good enough?
Why not read the opening lines of the book of Revelation? Things taking place because the “time is at hand” (Revelation 1:3). I am sorry but where is Russia and China while John is on Patmos? Why not read the end of the book as well? The angel showed the servants of God the things “…which must shortly be done” (Revelation 22:6). Oh, have you not heard that the things which must shortly be done have not happened yet for some 2000 years? Do not seal the prophecy of this book, John is told. Why not we ask? The answer is, the “…time is at hand” (Revelation 22:10). Let us say that one can today move all these things of the book of Revelation to our time. Here is my question. How then were the people of the first century blessed by reading this material (Revelation 1:3)?
How would their faith in God been helped to be told these events are yet in the future, some two thousand years? The person who would overcome would be granted to eat of the tree of life (Revelation 2:7). Be faithful even if it cost you your life to those in Smyrna (Revelation 2:10). Those who would overcome would be allowed to eat of the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17). How sad to believe, they would read these words and the truth of the meaning of these words would be hidden for over 2000 years. They would be persecuted, tortured and killed believing they would pass from this life to a life with God in eternity. If we move the book of Revelation to the 21st century we do so at the expense of changing the Word of God.
Was John on Patmos the only one writing about this kind of thing? Jesus taught that when the gospel went into all the known world, the end would come (Matthew 24:14). Did the gospel of the kingdom go into all the world in the first century? Paul said it did (Colossians 1:23). Does God lie? Jesus said when the gospel went into all the world, the end would come. It went into all the world. Friend, God does not lie, the end did come. Certainly not the end of the world because the world still stands even now. There was another end under consideration. Why not let Jesus tell us what it was?
All the righteous blood from Able to Zechariah (that is from Genesis to Malachi) would be required of that generation (Matthew 23:35). How would His audience have understood the words, “…upon you”? All these things will come on “…this generation”. When this end came, the house of the Jews would be left desolate (verse 38). Why not read the great lament of Jesus over Jerusalem in verse 37? People go back to the Old Testament and talk about no weapon will prosper against Israel. Yet in the very next chapter, Jesus says, “…not one stone left upon another “ (Matthew 24:2).
Let us look at some other examples. Paul said their salvation was nearer now than what they had believed (Romans 13:11). Since the end of faith is the salvation of the soul, Paul is speaking of some other kind of salvation here (I Peter 1:9). James writes that the coming of the Lord draws near (James 5:8). Peter writes that the end of all things was at hand (1 Peter 4:7). How would those of the first century world have understood these warnings? Something was happening right then in their world. I have long wondered how the world has understood Hebrews 12:26? Here the writer states that God will shake the earth once more. What is the purpose of this shaking?
Until Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70 the question of who really is a child of God continued. Paul then tells us in Romans 8:19 about waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. When Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70, there was no more question. Not Jews, nor Gentiles but Christians and Christians only. You may have an interesting study trying to find Gog and Magog upon a map somewhere. Your time would be better spent finding Jesus the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.