It’s September 26th and I’m still here. If you’re reading this I’m guessing you are too. If you’re confused as to why I’d even mention our existence, allow me to explain.
A couple of weeks ago, while scrolling through social media, I saw posts announcing that true believers would be “raptured” on September 23rd (or the 24th, depending on who you listened to). At first I was skeptical, but I was also in DC traffic so disappearing sounded good. If there was an opportunity to get caught up, I wasn’t about to miss out. So, just in case, I decided to make sure I was prepared. It was heaven or bust. Here we go.
My Prep
I realized I had a lot to wrap up if I was leaving. Should I toss the furniture? Share my passwords? Do I ghost the mortgage company and send my HOA a text saying “Thanks for the memories”? For my family I decided on a postcard that read “Wish you were here.” I figured they’d find it hilarious, even if I wouldn’t be around to see their gratitude for myself. As for my clothes? Having a heavenly body means everything would be too big, so maybe sweatpants would be the smarter move.
I got excited about the prospect of spending my last few hours on earth. To celebrate, I decided on a box of Krispy Kremes and an Oreo Cookie Frosty from Wendy’s. For the record, I’m lactose intolerant. Heaven would just have to understand my poor, sinful gut. If this was my last chance at junk food, I was not going to waste it. Eventually I finished my snacks and settled in. I was ready for the night of my life.
The Problems
I made myself stay up until midnight on the 23rd. There was no way I was going to sleep through my ascension. As the clock ticked down, I sat upright on the couch, Doritos in hand, ready to be beamed up out of existence.
Midnight came. Midnight went. Nothing happened.
I looked through the blinds at the quiet street. Nothing. Then I had a thought: time zones! Maybe they meant midnight in Australia…or Tokyo? Maybe Jesus was running late? Nope. No such luck. Eventually the sun came up, and…well, the world was the same old mess. I was still here, family and friends were still here, and I had a corner store’s worth of sugar still coursing through my veins.
As the hours passed on the 24th and then rolled into the 25th, there was still no Rapture. People went to work, posted memes and paid bills, just like any other Thursday. I started to wonder if I was somehow to blame. Was I too heavy to be lifted off the earth? (Probably should have left the donuts alone.) Maybe the IT department in heaven saw our family group chat… oops! Whatever the reason, I had stayed up all night and all I had to show for it was disappointment. I wondered what went wrong. Thankfully, I had the Word of God to help me figure it out.
God’s Promise
The truth is, If I had actually remembered what Jesus Himself said about His return, I’d have saved myself a lot of trouble. Thankfully, Jesus wasn’t vague at all. John 14 says, “I go to prepare a place for you… And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself” Jesus is coming to get us. He’s not magically bringing us up to Him.
In Acts 1:11 we hear: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” The same way He went up is the way He’ll come back. We won’t disappear, Jesus will reappear. But wait, there’s more…
Jesus even gave us a visual:
“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27).
Lightning doesn’t creep; it illuminates the sky. Revelation agrees:
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him…”(Revelation 1:7).
Not a select few. Every eye. That’s hardly a covert operation in the middle of the night.
As for the delay, God’s timing is not like ours.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness…” (2 Peter 3:9).
It may feel like He’s late, but God has not forgotten. He’s waiting because God wants everyone ready, not left behind. If Jesus said He’d come again, then come again He will. Exactly as He promised.
The Point
Here’s the point. I might be stuck here for the moment (and so are you), but we won’t be stuck down here forever. One day, at a truly unexpected hour, Jesus will return and take His children home, just like He said. Meanwhile, the smart move is not to lose hope or fixate on conspiracy theories. It’s to “occupy till He comes” (Luke 19:13).
For me, “occupying” means I’ll occasionally enjoy a donut (maybe even two) and find a Frosty I can safely eat (perhaps a lactose-free one, and if they don’t exist someone should work on that immediately). It also means living each ordinary day in an extraordinary way. It means making every minute count for the One who keeps His promises.
So yeah, I’m still here. And because I’m here I’ll keep showing up for life. For some this mix-up is a huge letdown, but Jesus promised everything would get better. He’s coming back. And when that day comes, everybody will know. Until then, I’ll be down here on Earth, making the most of the time. For now, I’m here, and that’s perfectly fine, because I know this won’t last forever.
