The movie is based on a fictional book which is based on the biblical principals of the Rapture. The story line is essentially a family that is divided. Half of the family members are believers and half are not. The Rapture occurs and the two believers are gone in the blink of an eye.
Several things struck me in the movie. I kept thinking about non-believers who go to see the movie. They will either think the movie is too ridiculous or it is going to scare the "bejesus"
out of them. My personal opinion is that it wasn't even close to depicting how horrible it will be here on earth.
Let's think about that a minute. Every single believer in the entire world will be gone instantly. It will be immediate and utter chaos. Think L.A. Rodney King riots, post Hurricane Katrina, and New York City the day of 9/11. Now put them all together covering the entire globe. It will be hell on earth. Literally.
Another thing that surprised me about the movie were the number of animals that were shown left behind. Honestly, I've never thought about my pets. I just assumed they would go with me. It really struck a chord with me. I researched late last night. I can not find anywhere in scripture that says our animals will be Raptured with us. My immediate thought was "God, knows how much we love our animals. Surely , because He loves me, they will be Raptured with us". But when I didn't find it in scripture I realized this is a great lesson for me. I can't change scripture to fit my emotional needs if I believe the word of God to be true. I believe the word of God to be true so therefore it looks like my dogs will not be going with me.
However I did find some amazing things about Jesus and animals. It's obvious to me animals were very important to Him. Jesus seemed to be around animals often, and He frequently used animals in His parables. Jesus was born in a manger, which is a feeding trough for livestock, and was surrounded by animals. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove when John was baptizing Him. The third person of the Godhead, The Holy Spirit, appeared in animal form. Right after Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him out into the desert where He fasted for 40 days. The wild animals and the angels were the only ones to surround him. His conversations frequently revolved around animals. A perfect example was when he told the disciples “I will make you fishers of men"-Matthew 4:18-22. Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus is called "the Lamb of God" "The Good Shepherd" "The Lion of Judah". Jesus rode a donkey before His crucifixion and He will Return on a white horse. The bible is full of animals. Yet there is not one verse that says they will be Raptured with us.
During my internet search about animals and the Rapture I happened upon a website. The site is called www.aftertherapturecare.com. At first I thought it was a joke. I read on. Two friends, one a Christian who believes she will soon be Raptured and an agnostic friend who does not believe in the Rapture. They are both bonded by their love of animals. So they formed this company that will care for pets after the Rapture. They've recruited agnostic animal lovers all across America. These animal lovers have volunteered to adopt cats, dogs, bunnies, reptiles and horses post Rapture. You pay a one time fee of $10. They will then pair you with a volunteer in your state who will locate your animals post Rapture.
I'm still on the fence about this. One part of me says "ten bucks no foul no harm". Another part of me literally was laughing to myself "This is a hoot!" Then the other part of me thinks "The God of the universe will have it under control".
All I know is that I love the Lord with all of my heart, mind, and soul. I believe what He tells me. I have to trust that He is God...I am not. And when we all hear that trumpet call, I feel sure, He will have our best interest at heart.
"And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and
they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world--from the
farthest ends of the earth and heaven."-Matthew 24:31
