Of all the articles I've been requested to answer this will be my most harshest. I don't believe God minces His words when it comes to the End Times. His wrath reigns. When He describes hell as being fire and brimstone, that's exactly what He means. Regardless of what each part of God's people may believe, His words ate exact. His punishment is exact.

The "Rapture" or "Tribulation" as we know it is that part of our suffering that will take place in order for us to enter into the glorious paradise that God has prepared for us.

Re 2:11
Our Lord Jesus is the First, for by him were all things made; he was before all things, with God, and is God himself. He is the Last, for he will be the Judge of all. As this First and Last, who was dead and is alive, is the believer's Brother and Friend, he must be rich in the deepest poverty, honourable amidst the lowest abasement, and happy under the heaviest tribulation, like the church of Smyrna. Many who are rich as to this world, are poor as to the next; and some who are poor outwardly, are inwardly rich; rich in faith, in good works, rich in privileges, rich in gifts, rich in hope. Where there is spiritual plenty, outward poverty may be well borne; and when God's people are made poor as to this life, for the sake of Christ and a good conscience, he makes all up to them in spiritual riches. Christ arms against coming troubles. Fear none of these things; not only forbid slavish fear, but subdue it, furnishing the soul with strength and courage. It should be to try them, not to destroy them. Observe, the sureness of the reward; "I will give thee:" they shall have the reward from Christ's own hand. Also, how suitable it is; "a crown of life:" the life worn out in his service, or laid down in his cause, shall be rewarded with a much better life, which shall be eternal. The second death is unspeakably worse than the first death, both in the agonies of it, and as it is eternal death: it is indeed awful to die, and to be always dying. If a man is kept from the second death and wrath to come, he may patiently endure whatever he meets with in this world.

Read how God describes paradise to John (Exiled on Patmos).

A new heaven, and new earth: the new Jerusalem where God dwells, and banishes all sorrow from his people. (Re 21:1-8) Its heavenly origin, glory, and secure defence. (Re 21:9-21) Its perfect happiness, as enlightened with the presence of God and the Lamb, and in the free access of multitudes, made holy. (Re 21:22-27)

Re 21:8
v1-8 The new heaven and the new earth will not be separate from each other; the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies, will be heavenly. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will have passed away. There will be no sea; this aptly represents freedom from conflicting passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from whatever can divide or interrupt the communion of saints. This new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant. Its blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him. The presence of God with his people in heaven, will not be interrupt as it is on earth, he will dwell with them continually. All effects of former trouble shall be done away. They have often been in tears, by reason of sin, of affliction, of the calamities of the church; but no signs, no remembrance of former sorrows shall remain. Christ makes all things new. If we are willing and desirous that the gracious Redeemer should make all things new in order hearts and nature, he will make all things new in respect of our situation, till he has brought us to enjoy complete happiness. See the certainty of the promise. God gives his titles, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, as a pledge for the full performance. Sensual and sinful pleasures are muddy and poisoned waters; and the best earthly comforts are like the scanty supplies of a cistern; when idolized, they become broken cisterns, and yield only vexation. But the joys which Christ imparts are like waters springing from a fountain, pure, refreshing, abundant, and eternal. The sanctifying consolations of the Holy Spirit prepare for heavenly happiness; they are streams which flow for us in the wilderness. The fearful durst not meet the difficulties of religion, their slavish fear came from their unbelief; but those who were so dastardly as not to dare to take up the cross of Christ, were yet so desperate as to run into abominable wickedness. The agonies and terrors of the first death will lead to the far greater terrors and agonies of eternal death.

BUT!!! Are any of us upon this Earth worthy of entering into paradise to sit beside God? No, not one.

Rev 5:2-8

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

What we read on the news is good for us and a strong warning that we need to get closer to our lLord Jesus Christ. We need to prioritise our live placing God where He should be. We need to get back to prayer. We need to get back to our fellowship with Him and His people.

I have had plenty of warnings in my life. I have come close to death at least three times and have been declared "Dead on Arrival" twice. I have been bankrupted four times. Divorced twice and been through a really tough childhood. I have never forsaken my God.I have never crucified Him again. He is my God. He is my life. And I can honestly say, with a joy in my heart - I can feel it right now - and much excitement, I love Him with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind.

I am not perfect. I do struggle to get up and have quiet times. But I remember Him through the day. Without Him I wouldn't make it.

I am not as flamboyant and free a spirit as I was in my youth. I used to do a lot of outreach and praise God openly on street corners. I enjoyed the mission work I was involved in as a youngster.

I am much older now, and hopefully a lot more wiser.

I do know the end times are near. I do still have a lot more work to accomplish. I am a little behind with what I am supposed to do. But God is with me daily. He understands. He loves me. He will guide and be with me.

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

God refers to the end times over and over in His Word. He cannot place enough emphasis on what is going to happen. He will put us through the "Tribulation" and then give the rest of the sinners a third chance to repent before He unleashes Satan to do major destruction. He will then bring Satan to his knees to worship the One and Only Powerful and All Righteous God.

Isaiah 46:10
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

Daniel 12:1
[ The End Times ] "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

Hebrews 9:26
Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Are You Ready
Do you know the truth about the end of the world? It's time to get serious about your eternity. It's time to take a look at your future. Someday, maybe soon, one way or the other you will suddenly be facing Jesus. He's warned you He's coming. It's time to get ready. The Word of God in Matthew 24:30 says, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” Jesus lets us know here that He's coming back.

There's no doubt about how it's all going to end. The same Jesus who ascended into heaven, after His resurrection, will return to this earth. The first time He came to take the death sentence for our sins. The second time He's coming to take over. It's described again in Luke 21:27 where Jesus says, "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory.”

What time is He referring to? Luke 21:10-11 says,” There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” The Bible describes many signs that will come just before Jesus comes back.

The warning lights will be on first, and a lot of those signs sound strangely familiar. The Bible says there will be a nation of Israel before Jesus comes back, and there wasn't for two thousand years. There is now. Jesus said there will be great turbulence in the environment and that there will be talk of peace in the Middle East. Jesus said the Gospel will spread to the ends of the earth to every nation. That's a prophecy that can finally be fulfilled now by the Internet and radio, which reaches every corner of the planet. Is Jesus coming soon? No one knows, but He'll return to a world that looks very much like ours.

Jesus gives this warning in Matthew 24:44, “You must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” He's coming. The warning lights are on. Are you ready? You are ready only if you have asked this Jesus to be your personal Saviour from the penalty of your personal sin.

John 3:18 says, "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of God's one and only Son."; Believing in Jesus is recognizing that your sin is a life or death issue and that your only hope of forgiveness or heaven is Jesus—the One who loved you enough to die for your sin. You believe when you consciously put all your trust in Him to be your spiritual rescuer from your sin. If you haven't done that, then you're not ready for His coming.

Saints and sinner alike. This is your chance to correct the wrongs in your life. This is your opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit int your heart. Now is the time to make Jesus head of your heart, body and soul.

Mt 22:37-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.