I have wondered this question for some time. Why aren't churches preaching and teaching about the rapture, tribulation and His Second Coming? Doesn't the Bible state:
“BLESSED is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) (By the way, this is the only Book of the Bible that promises a blessing for those who read and learn of the things that are written in it.)
Unless you live under a rock, worldwide events show that the time is coming very quickly with each passing day. Only God knows when He is coming back, but we are to study and watch for His coming, not ignore it.
Are pastors and church leaders afraid of broaching the subject today because it might cause fear among the people? Would it affect the amount of money the church can raise from the congregation?
If we look at the Lord's prayer, does it not say "…Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in Heaven, so on Earth."? Luke 11:2
Is it not God's will to set up His earthly Kingdom as He describes at the end of Revelation? Maybe we are too concerned with our cushy worldly lives to be concerned about some distant occurrence. The church should be teaching and preaching all of the Bible, not just what pleases modern sensibilities.
Yes, the church was called to preach the gospel to all corners of the world. This is because God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9. However, there will be a date in the future when it will all come to an end. The church will leave Earth and Satan will be loosed on the Earth and its inhabitants as he battles God. It will be hell on Earth like has never been seen or experienced before. It is this urgency that should cause us to move with vigor to spread the Gospel to all the Earth.
The church was not established to build large congregations, collect the most money, have the latest and greatest entertainment to appease the world. This is real life and death. How many in the church will be left here to endure the final act when they thought that they were saved all along and are now left behind? I think we need to be done with the namby-pamby, feel good, seeker-sensitive preaching, because people need to the cold hard truth of death and life in Jesus Christ. Fear is what motivated me to seek and accept the salvation offered in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Fear of being in Hell for eternity apart from God. Fear of death. Fear of denying and blaspheming the One who created me.
Love is important too. His love is what made Him sacrifice His son for us. He is a God of love, but we tend to ignore the God of justice part. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7
I know I have a tendency to not bring up the end times prophecy because people tend to react negatively to the topic or they just want to gloss over the conversation. I pray that we will all begin to speak boldly about Jesus' second coming because people's lives depend on it.
