Well so much for Trump being one to speed up prophecy....
well he's speeding up something alright, but as for prophecy, it depends how you look at it.
I have always thought that peace and safety, good economic expectations were part of the situation before the Rapture, at least in part of the world.
I know not everyone shares this point of view, but here's how I get there
It's from the contrasts in Thessalonians - and over in Luke 17 and Matt 24. Paul uses a thief illustration in 1 Thess, and Jesus uses the same illustration in Matt 24. (not in Luke 17 however or over in Luke 21 which is Luke's version of the Olivet)
1 Thessalonians 5:2-4
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
Notice the contrasts. We aren't overtaken as if a thief arrived, we are expecting something. Who is being overtaken here? Those who have an expectation of good times and sudden destruction catches them by surprise. That goes along with Matt 24:42-44 in the Olivet discourse by Jesus where the thief theme shows up again.
Noah and Lot in
Luke 17:26-29 (which isn't the Olivet but it does say similar things) where it talks about normal life- buying, selling, marriage- a lot of contract stuff. For contracts like Marriage or a Sales agreement to happen, there has to be a reasonable expectation of a future benefit. Same with planting and building going on. You don't do either if it's about to be destroyed or a lot of destruction is occurring around you. You build and plant when there is reasonable expectation of enjoying a building, using it or gaining a harvest.
It's not that there won't be SOME happening, there will- it's just not going to be the picture of everything going well during the Tribulation. The rich will still have their luxuries (the fall of Babylon in Revelation says so) but this won't be commonplace in a time when just in the first Seals a quarter of the earth dies. And it gets progressively worse from then on.
Jesus uses contrast to show the expectation of a good future- contrasted with sudden destruction. Just like Paul does in 1 Thess.
There is a lot of Day of the Lord stuff in there. That can refer to the whole Tribulation period, and perhaps starts at the Rapture. So I remain open about seeing Rapture references in here. Although some is definitely about the Second Coming- Jesus goes forward to that time in the passage before in vs 22-25. It's interesting that He goes forward to the Second Coming at the end of the Trib, then back to His crucifixion both still in the future for the disciples as He's explaining the future to them.
Then 26-29 He says Just as it was in the days of Noah in v 26, and in v 28 He says It was the same in the days of Lot. So He could be discussing the Second Coming again because He mentions it in v 24, going back to the necessity of the crucifixion in v 25
but also after the Noah and Lot verses, He adds that very puzzling passage of Luke 17:30-37 that seems to refer to the Second Coming again.
It wouldn't be the first time Jesus deals with time gaps in the same passage. Moving from one period of time to another.
Looking at the other place Noah and Lot appear is Matthew 24- the Olivet discourse v 36-44 and in the last part Jesus points out the thief comparison. Paul has it in 1 Thess 5: 2-4 and here it is in Matt 24:43-44
AND it only fits the Rapture. Because the timing of the Second Coming is a countdown clock, ticking off the days from the Signing of the Covenant that starts the Trib. The homeowner (Satan) knows he has 7 years from that time forward.
The only time the thief can break in unawares, and catch the homeowner by surprise is at the Rapture when Jesus comes to steal His bride, like a thief in the night.
So this is why I look at a generally improving economy at the time of the Rapture whenever that is.
It will be a time that catches the world (and the homeowner- Satan) by surprise. They won't be expecting the thief in the night. They'll be expecting good times. And sudden destruction will fall on them. Just like it did in Noah and Lot's day.
1 Thess 5:1-4 NIV
1 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
2
for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
What better time to have expectations of peace and safety, when common sense principles in economics and politics seem to be making a comeback?
This sudden destruction seems to happen at the point of the Rapture. Like a pin bursting a balloon. Everything goes sideways when the Restraining influence of the Church being used by the Holy Spirit to restrain evil is taken up and out of the way.
Economic pressures that have been building for decades will break loose under the impact of the Rapture and it's after effects. At least from my pov.
I also think that sets up a situation for the 10 kings and the AC to ride to the "rescue". Never let a crisis go to waste said Rahm Emmanuel.
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