I have already offered a couple of suggestions on a couple of other posts. But am curious to see if anyone else has any input?! Doing so will I believe help us better align ourselves with His will!! What say you? TR Here are a few thoughts, TR, on why I think He tarries: 1) LOVE: He loves people and is not willing that any should perish...He is giving people more time to repent and return to Himself. 2) CHARACTER: His character is merciful, long-suffering, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness... 3) RIGHTEOUSNESS: He is withholding His hand of judgment until the righteous (those clothed with His imputed righteousness that has nothing to do with ourselves and everything to do with Him) are removed from the city... Far be it from the righteous Judge of all the earth to destroy the righteous with the wicked. He waited for Noah and his family to get on the Ark before He sent the flood. He waited for Lot and his family to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah before He rained down fire and brimstone. He will wait for the Bride to get caught up from this sinful, fallen world before His scroll of unspeakable judgment is unleashed with the revealing of the Antichrist. Thanks, good reasons. I believe that the primary reason is, He is waiting for the cup of iniquity to be filled by the unrighteous, that their judgments may be filled! Secondarily as you have stated He patiently waits for His Church to also be filled. Allowing us more time accumulate and store our treasures in Heaven! Indeed being omniscient, He already knows who will be saved and who wont! That said 3 seconds before the Rapture any number of souls could receive Him unto themselves. Not just one last soul! His choosing a day in time for the Rapture therefore isn't IMHO based on a definitive number of souls, but rather some other overriding concern to define the Rapture Day! TR Again the point being IMHO, if the date has already been appointed before the foundations were laid, this speaks of that day being unchangable! That said the Lord will not forestall the timing of the Rapture by even one minute to wait for that last soul! Again, that isn't the overriding criteria. TR Also looking at Lot and his family. I don't think that one minute either way would have mattered. The two angels knew the night before the exact time that destruction was going to reign down. God set his schedule to accommodate when Lot and his family would be in safe place. So it is with us. Once we are in a safe place (Heaven), then the judgments of God will rain down upon the whole Earth! Even Lot had time to bring in as many family members as would to join him in his escape! But only 4 followed and only he and his two daughters were saved! God could not wait for Lot's wife to be emotionally prepared. Knowing she never would be! And the N.T. scriptures promise is that we won't be taken by surprise. This speaks to and indicates a heads up, IMHO! Rather than simply say the Blessed Hope will be accomplished, we were given the added promise of not being surprised!!! TR
