Looking to Escape? 'Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled'

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” -- NKJV

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” – ESV

““But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” – NASB

“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.” -- KJV

--Luke 21:36

The following is the author's opinion. Prayed upon, researched and given in good faith.

Let’s talk about escaping

Escape is one of those words that conjures different visual in different minds. For the ‘dictionary’ definition please visit here: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/escape?s=t

We’ve all had things we have wanted to escape from and many of them can be quite scary. People have been creative in how they formulate their escape depending on what they are escaping, and some are successful. Others? Not so much and many of those become a fatal statistic. Not wishing to delve too far into this topic merely wanted to make this one point: No matter what we are trying to escape, except for one reality – self-annihilation --  most who try to escape may succeed at distancing themselves from the threat but they still remain here on earth. Sadly, Earth is figuratively growing ever smaller as technology via surveillance even at a private and personal level encroaches upon us via our phones, our computers, and other devices designed in part to monitor our every moment. One company wants to have their surveillance product snoop on us in every room, including the bedroom. Why? Oh, you know, in case you have a hard time sleeping they can recommend solutions; of course, from their bevvy of advertisers because?  Making $’s is how they bring in their profitable bottom line. So, you just want to escape it all. With the right connections no matter your actions to remain incognito, anyone with funds and familiarity with the internet can find you. There is only ONE who can save you from this earth and the manifold woes that cause people to want to escape it and 1 Thess 4:17 tells us the answer: “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

What is different about Jesus’s statement in Luke 21:36? This: He tells us to pray that we will have the strength to get away from all the things foretold by Christ to come upon the earth, the very place we have no choice but to live. Yet, if we succeed in escaping, according to Jesus we wind up, no longer on earth but standing before Jesus, our High Priest [Hebrews 4:14]. This may come as a shock to many people but some actually hold as their faith that Christians will be ‘caught up’ prior to the troubles of Luke 21 [or Matt 24-25 and Mark 13] because Jesus and his apostles taught that we would be kept from the wrath or time of wrath. [See Rev 3:10; 1 Thess 1:10; 1 Thess 4:17; 1 Thess 5:9 – more. See table below] So who are those needing to have strength that they may escape? It is thought by the same individuals who believe the Church will be caught up – some of those who have been left behind on earth will respond to the absence of those ‘caught up’ [or commonly referred to as ‘raptured’] and will be able to quickly understand what happened. Knowledge or understanding of what happened may be all they need to convert to Christianity, or to finally become born again. Others will respond to the evangelism of that tribulation time and others will simply deny deny deny despite the horrific evidence facing them via prophetic tough times upon them [Rev chapters 6 through 19].  Primarily, it is believed by those who hold to the Biblical event of the ‘catching away; the caught up or the rapture, GOD’s plan for Israel will move into its last phase and they will be the ‘chosen ones/elect ones’ referred to in Matt 24:22 [and of course Luke 21:36] for whom this great time of tribulation will be terminated by GOD at HIS chosen point in time through his SON, King of Kings, upon HIS second coming – or landing as it were, in Israel.

As you look over the different translations at the beginning of this post - please consider this: It is the same scripture through the lens  of different publishers. There is a key distinction, language wise, between the KJV/NKJV and the other translations. However, in the NKJV the word "worthy" is footnoted and refers the reader to the NU Text which uses the word 'strength' for'worthy'. They have very different meanings in English. Wanted to broaden the undesrstanding accodingly. There is no 'wrong' translation. It is merely a case of using a word in English that addresses the nuance of the word translated to be 'worthy' from the Greek in Strongs #G2611. Find out why some translations have worthy others such as strength in the ESV and success in the NWT.

Now, ask yourself, how can you escape this? Glad you asked. Let’s look at a few relative scriptures. But before we do, let’s be clear; when we speak of escape each person has their own understanding and perhaps even word association. However, there are many forms of escape so narrowing it down to the escape from Earth – alive, is the topic for this post. Please understand as a Christian your passport out of the time of wrath is your faith/belief in Jesus as your Savior. Having been born again as a Christian your passport is acceptable because it is the blood of the risen Christ and the grace and mercy shown to you by GOD because CHRIST’s innocent self-sacrificed blood has been applied to you that puts you on the Heaven bound path whenever your ‘twinkling’ change happens.

Below, is a table with verses that deal with substantiating 1]The Catching away, the being ‘caught up’ or the ‘escaping’; 2]The Wrath of GOD is not for those who are caught up; 3] Why some who consider themselves religious or spiritual may be left behind. [See 2 Thess 2:1-12]  

But, may this be of great courage and comfort to your hope in Christ: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” – Rev 4:1 --The church is removed

   

Here a few verses taken from the Bible that sort of sets the framework:

Bible Verses	Text
1 Cor 15:51-53	Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Thess 1:10	and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
1 Thess 2:19	For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
1 Thess 3:13	so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
1 Thess 4:13-18	But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  1Th 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  1Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  1Th 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  1Th 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I Thess 5:1-9	But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  1Th 5:3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.  1Th 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  1Th 5:5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.  1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.  1Th 5:7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.  1Th 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  1Th 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 Thess 2:6-8	And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He  who now restrains will do so until He  is taken out of the way.  2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
2 Thess 2:11	And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
Col 3:4	When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Hebrews 9:28	so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
John 14:1-3	“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  Jhn 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions;  if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  Jhn 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
Jude 1:24-25	Now to Him who is able to keep you  from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,  Jde 1:25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
Phil 3:20-21	For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  Phl 3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Titus 2:13	looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Rev 3:10	“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Rev 3:7	“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” [Isa 22:22]
Rev 4:1	After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

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 ©Lightwritingmatters 2015

Bibles Designations

ASV -- American Standard Version

ESV – English Standard Version

KJV – King James Version

NASB – New American Standard Bible

NIV – New International Version

NKJV – New King James Version

NWT – New World Translation

 DISCLAIMER: The thoughts published on this blog, in total, are the opinions, thoughts and considerations of the writer/author of every post published. It is assumed that research by the reader will lead the reader to their own conclusions. It is not the writer’s intent to make a judgment of anyone but to allow GOD’s Word to do what it does. “For the word of GOD is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from GOD’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12 [NIV]

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 ©Lightwritingmatters 2015