A Parable Of Why It Matters

The coach of a track team tells them by email that an upcoming event will be a race that will be 20 miles long. But some of the team members get the idea that the coach could not possibly ask them to run that far and that he must have meant 2 miles.

The day of the race comes and many of the members arrive believing they are only going to have to run 2 miles. The race begins and they reach the 2 mile marker and sit down completely exhausted but greatly relieved that the race is over. But then they see other team members who had prepared themselves mentally and physically for a 20 mile run approaching and then passing them by without stopping. A dread falls upon them. There is simply no way they can even imagine getting up and running 18 more miles. They drop out of the race, believing that the coach is asking far too much. When the coach drives up to them after the race he is very angry with them and cuts them from the team.

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Another Parable

Here's another parable about why knowing the rapture's timing matters:

A unit of soldiers is warned by communiqu� that a huge army of the enemy is approaching their position and that relief will not reach them until the enemy army has overrun their position, but relief will definitely come and the war will be won. They dig in and hold their position for 18 days waiting for the relief, but knowing that the enemy army will overrun them first.

Then on the 19th day someone in the trenches says they heard that the relief army has promised to come before the huge enemy army reaches them, so there's no need to worry. Word spreads quickly through the trenches and most believe the rumor. A few, however, question the source of the rumor and ask to see the communiqu� promising that the relief army will come before the enemy army. No such communiqu� can be found but the rumor has already taken hold in the trenches.

On the 21st day the enemy army arrives waving a white flag and announcing on a megaphone: "Fellow citizens of earth! We arrive with good news. Peace has been made between all nations of the earth. Come forth and join us as we rebuild our cities from the devastation of this war."

Those in the trenches shout back: "Where's our commander in chief?"

The megaphone answers: "He was exposed as one opposed to the welfare of mankind, as was the entire government of your former nation."

"What do you mean opposed to the welfare?"

"All the other nations determined that it was best to come together in unity, but your commander in chief stated that he alone, as leader of your nation, would rule the entire world. This was determined as unacceptable and he was killed in the ensuing battle. Now come forth from your trenches. We have wine and meat for you to eat after your long privation. All we ask is that you lay down your arms and renounce your former commander and his and your former nation's unacceptable ambitions."

"He was a good man."

"Unfortunately, he was very skilled as presenting himself like an innocent lamb, but only so that he might one day devour the entire earth like a lion devouring its prey, and torture all those who had opposed him."

A murmur began to rise from those in the trenches as they spoke among themselves. The few that had not believed the rumor about the relief army coming before the enemy army spoke up first: "They're making it up. Remember the communiqu� that said our commander and the relief army would not be able to reach us until after the enemy army arrived? Well, that's still the case. Hunker down and wait."

But some of the others answered back: "I'm not so sure. I think our commander promised to come before the enemy army came. So he must really have been killed. Maybe what they're saying about him is true." Someone spoke up: "Could be. I heard he did like to torture anyone who opposed him. Why was that?" A third person spoke up: "Man, I'm hungry. They're offering us wine and meat, men, what are we waiting for?" Someone answered back: "We're waiting for our commander. What do you think he'll do when he comes and finds you a traitor?"

While they were speaking some of the men had already crawled out of the trenches, even some who had never believed the rumor about the relief army coming before the enemy army. They were just tired and hungry, and didn't want to sit there in the mud waiting for something that might never come.

The megaphone announced: "Come now! Where are the rest of you? Are you going to continue to support the failed ambitions of the torturer?"

Many of the men held back, talking among themselves: "I don't trust this guy. I still believe our commander is coming."

"Fellow citizens of earth! Witness our united power! Look to that farmhouse to the east of the battlefield..."

The men poked their heads above the edges of the trenches. They suddenly saw what looked like a giant bolt of lightning fall upon the farmhouse and obliterate it.

"I announce the successful deployment of our satellite laser weapon, against which there is no defense! We all can now live in peace knowing that no one can rise up to divide us again. We will obliterate them."

The men in the trenches began to worry. "Wait a minute. Even if our commander and the relief army are still coming, that laser weapon could wipe them all out anyway."

More crawled out of the trenches.

The megaphone coaxed: "Come, come! Where are the rest of you? Why so obstinate? Are you against the unity and peace of all mankind?"

Someone from the trenches shouted back: "You're a fraud!"

"Am I?"

It grew very quiet. Night began to fall.

After it had gotten completely dark shouts began to rise up from the trenches. The enemy had infiltrated the trenches and was carrying away the resisters. A few of the resisters managed to dig tunnels in the walls of the trenches and hide under mud so no one found them. All the others were captured.

That night, of those that were captured, many renounced their commander as soon as they began to be tortured by the enemy -- whether they had believed the rumor about the relief army coming before the enemy army or not. Some held fast and died loyal to their commander.

As the morning light came, the ground began to shake. Those hiding in the mud in the trenches poked their heads over the edges of the trenches and saw the tanks of the relief army approaching.

The enemy's laser weapon didn't fall on the relief army. Instead, the relief army completely surrounded the enemy army and wiped it out. The relief army came up to the trenches and those few still alive in the trenches came out.

They were brought to their commander, who asked them: "Where are the rest of you?"

"They went over to the enemy."

"Why? Didn't you receive my communiqu� that I couldn't get here until the enemy came, but that I would definitely come?"

"Yes, but a rumor spread that you had promised to come before the enemy came. When the enemy came first they said you were dead, so some thought you must be dead because you had promised to come before the enemy."

"Everyone that went over to the enemy went over because of that rumor?"

"No, some went over simply because of hunger and exhaustion. Others because they were convinced by the enemy's laser weapon that he could wipe you out even if you did come. Others because they were captured and tortured."

The commander replied: "We took out that laser satellite soon after we saw it was operating."

The commander sighed; "I wonder how many of you might have held on longer if that rumor had never been spread."