by Tim Buck | Oct 29, 2025 | Church, Rapture
The Beautiful Teaching of Jesus on the Rapture:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3
In John 14, Jesus was using an analogy that His Jewish listeners would have easily understood regarding Hebrew wedding customs. An ancient Jewish wedding consisted of several steps that tie directly to Christ’s teaching on the rapture the church.
John 14 is the first teaching of the Rapture in the Bible and the most details about the Rapture from any of the teaching of Jesus.
The Marriage of the Lamb mentioned in Revelation 19:7-9, is promised by Jesus in John 14:1-3, in alignment with first century, Hebrew marriage customs. The wedding customs were common in the day of Jesus and understood by the disciples.
The first step for a young Jewish groom, ready to marry, would be to leave his father’s house and travel to the home of his beloved. There, he would offer the bride a price [dowery], a sign that he was serious, that he could provide, and that he would give everything for her.
When Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the earth trembled. But heaven also understood the words a different way. This was not only a whisper He had defeated the enemy, it was also the shout of a Bridegroom, sealing a covenant with His bride.
As part of the wedding custom, if the bride accepted, they would drink a cup of wine together. Just as the marriage covenant was legally ratified by sharing wine, Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples that night in the upper room (Luke 22:17).
After the betrothal the groom returned home to prepare a place for his bride in his father’s house. This was usually done by him adding living quarters somewhere inside his father’s house. Jesus said He was going back to His Father’s House, His heavenly home “to prepare a place for us” – John 14:3.
When the living quarters were finished, the groom returned for his bride at an unexpected time, often at midnight when she would least be ready.
Jesus tells His bride, the Church, to be ready for an unexpected return – Matthew 24:44.
When the groom eventually returned he would abduct his bride secretly like a thief in the night and take her to the wedding chamber in his father’s house. There they would consummate the marriage, a consummation that lasted for seven days.
In like manner, Jesus will return to snatch away His Bride the Church and consummate the marriage in heaven for seven years.
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Revelation 19:7-8
While the church-bride is enjoying intimate fellowship with the groom in heaven for seven years, at the same time, His wrath is being poured out to the Christ-rejecting left behind for seven years.
While the world is suffering from God’s wrath, the raptured believers will be resting safely in the arms of Jesus.
by Tim Buck | Oct 4, 2025 | Church, Prophecy
God Has Been So Good!
Anyone reading these paragraphs who enjoys studying Bible prophecy should identify with a few lines here! That describes me—all of my life. Even before I became a believer I was drawn in by the notion of a God who knows the future!
During the years of Bible college and seminary I often found myself in the library researching questions on prophetic topics my teachers didn’t seem interested in talking about.
And my interest in last-day events never dwindled in ministry in Pennsylvania or South Carolina.
While few of my pastor friends were talking about the geo-political events aligning with Bible prophecy, I was eager to discuss them from the pulpit with a biblical twist because they were so relevant.
This was important, I knew. Analyzing current events and cultural trends related to prophecy is an excellent tool to get the gospel out and to sharpen people’s faith. It supports and strengthens a biblical worldview.
Bible Prophecy a Waste of Time?
So how could we do more to get the message out about the soon return of the Lord? And wasn’t it worth a try? Wasn’t taking a stand worth the risk? So few people wanted to stand for anything that the church was falling for everything!
And so, in 2015, the Lord burdened Nancy and me to begin seeking His will and to diligently pray about starting an independent, Bible prophecy teaching ministry. The urgency was real in our hearts so we began asking our friends to pray as well.
From our years of ministry and observing today’s pulpits, we had already come to the conclusion that our new ministry would have to be independent. That was because pastors simply weren’t open to inviting an outside speaker to discuss Bible prophecy at their church. They were not willing to take the risk of offending people. And this we understood.
Many of the pulpits are silent because pastors weren’t taught eschatology in seminary. In most cases, they were only taught a summation of the main views of prophecy without teaching any content. It’s best described as a, “decide for yourself” approach to teaching Bible prophecy. This leaves men entering the pulpit confused and disinterested in studying prophecy because they’ve been taught that if prophecy isn’t relevant for seminary, it’s not relevant for the church! This mistake has left the church without a voice on today’s issues.
Our World Is Changing Fast!
Our world was changing fast. No one in the upstate is talking about the signs of the last days. We needed to talk about it.
Islam was already the fastest growing religion on earth and wanted to take over the world. Israel was going to be divided, and Jerusalem would become the world’s “burdensome stone.” (Zechariah 12:3) Would anybody be around to talk about these things, let alone be defending her?
Doesn’t the Bible command us to “Comfort ye my people”? (Isaiah 40:1) Was I being called to do that? I think so. Israel was rapidly losing support, and this was ten years ago. Now we can see how far the international community has turned against her since then.
Is Your Church Missing Something?
I knew the average church was leaving out one-third of the Bible by not teaching Bible prophecy. Of course not all, but too many pulpits were majoring in minors, were avoiding current events and politics, were teaching false doctrine, and were insisting that they—the church—was Israel! How nuts is that? Replacement Theology was gaining traction.
So, we talked about it with friends—and talked about it some more! We only wanted to get the truth out to hungry hearts!
Bible Prophecy a Waste of Time?
In the fall of 2015 we began Focus on the End Times Ministry with four classes in a row in the home of Michael and Donna Connally in Fountain Inn, SC. What a blessing!
In 2016 we began working on our website and became a 501c3, non-profit ministry.
After looking across the upstate for a facility that had enough room and a kitchen, [the kitchen has always played a crucial part in this ministry) in the fall of 2016 we landed on Woodruff Road at Rocky Creek Baptist Church where we taught classes our first two years. To our shock and joy, people, who didn’t think Bible prophecy was a waste of time, began showing up from churches all over the upstate. Our only advertising was word of mouth!
From Rocky Creek, we moved to Mauldin First Baptist Church for three years until Covid shut us down.
But Covid became the blessing that the Lord used to lead us to Pastor Tim Huckaby and Burnsview Baptist Church where we’ve been for the past 5 years! Pastor Tim’s great preaching and his strong stand of not shutting down the church during Covid gained our respect and support. Today we couldn’t be happier with our membership and ministry connection to Burnsview where we plan to remain.
Ten Years, Bringing the Truth
So, where has the time gone? Ten years flew by quickly. The pace and impact of prophetic events has picked up dramatically since 2015.
The events of recent weeks have been both devastating and miraculous. When Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a campus event in Utah, suddenly, the hate-fueled attack on truth was abruptly thrust into the spotlight.
Then came a shameful effort at the United Nations, which came straight from the pages of Bible Prophecy. World leader after world leader declared their recognition of a “Palestinian State” with the hopes of carving up the state of Israel and gifting it to a group of terrorist supporting people, bent on the eradication of Jews. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared before the UN assembly, truth was being “turned on its head.”
Nations that did not participate in the “Palestine” lie were met with outrage. Italy’s Prime Minister received a public death threat, with Pro-Palestinian activists threatening to assassinate her “like Kirk.”
These events—the murder of Charlie Kirk and the absurd recognition of “Palestine” by world leaders—are more interwoven than people realize. We are living in a war zone now, and the enemy’s target is the truth.
And in the midst of this battle, Focus On The End Times will continue to bring the truth.
Thank you for your prayers and support over the last ten years.
by Tim Buck | Sep 4, 2025 | Anti-Christ, Church, Prophecy
(NOTE FROM TIM: My thanks to Prophecy News Watch for addressing this important issue concerning the silence of the church. Now more than ever, eschatology needs be addressed from the pulpit and the church needs to talk about the biblical issues of end-time importance.)
Lectures on Antichrist?
When a man like Peter Thiel announces a four-part lecture series on the Antichrist, it’s not just another tech mogul musing about the future–it’s a cultural moment. Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, investor in Facebook, and long-time power player in conservative politics, is no stranger to controversy.
He’s been at Trump’s side as a trusted adviser, helping shape a recent executive order that critics warn opens the door to mass surveillance. He’s a contrarian’s contrarian: libertarian and conservative, gay and yet drawn to Christianity, immersed in Silicon Valley but increasingly fascinated by scripture.
Now, beginning September 15 at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, Thiel will deliver four off-the-record lectures on the Antichrist–closed-door, no transcripts, no recordings. Organized by the Acts 17 Collective, the talks promise to explore the “theological and technological dimensions” of this apocalyptic figure, drawing on everyone from René Girard to Carl Schmitt.
A major lecture series in Silicon Valley touching on prophecy, AI, and even the concept of an Antichrist figure, sold out almost instantly. Tech leaders and cultural influencers are lining up to hear speculation about humanity’s end, yet the pews remain quiet.
And here’s the question every Christian should be asking: Why is Peter Thiel talking about the Antichrist when so many pastors won’t?
Why Thiel, why now?
Thiel has always been fascinated by the intersection of faith, politics, and technology. In interviews, he has speculated that the Antichrist might rise to power not through brute force but by constant talk of peace and safety–language eerily familiar in a world teetering between global wars and technological upheaval.
Yet the secrecy of these lectures raises another layer of intrigue. Why keep them closed-door? Why not livestream them if the goal is spiritual exploration? The answer, perhaps, is that Thiel isn’t trying to hold a Bible study. He’s staging an intellectual salon, where theology, power, and politics are blurred. Some see it as honest searching; others, as elitism dressed up in religious language.
Who’s shaping Thiel’s thinking?
The Acts 17 Collective, the nonprofit behind the event, brands itself as “Acknowledging Christ in Technology and Society.” It was co-founded by Michelle Stephens, who has explained that their mission is to create spaces for deep discussion among people who might never set foot in a traditional church. In many ways, Acts 17 reflects Silicon Valley’s new fascination with Christianity–not as humble faith, but as a cultural and intellectual wellspring to be mined.
Thiel may be sincere, but sincerity does not equal orthodoxy. As many Christian observers have already warned, when theology is shaped more by philosophers than prophets, the result is often distorted.
Where does this line up with scripture?
Let’s be blunt: it doesn’t. Thiel is an openly gay man whose worldview is a hybrid of cultural Christianity, intellectual philosophy, and Silicon Valley futurism. That alone puts him at odds with historic Christian orthodoxy. Yet he speaks on the Antichrist–a figure central to eschatology–while countless pastors dodge the subject.
In one sense, it’s commendable that Thiel is willing to ask these questions. But it also exposes the failure of the American church. Why are we letting a tech billionaire take the stage on biblical prophecy while pastors–the shepherds of God’s people–remain silent?
Why pastors won’t touch the Antichrist
This is the most stinging indictment. The reason Silicon Valley talks about the Antichrist while pulpits stay quiet isn’t because the subject is unimportant. It’s because the church has grown timid.
Many pastors don’t preach on the Antichrist, not because scripture is unclear, but because they themselves don’t know what they believe. Seminary trained them to doubt prophecy. Some dismiss Revelation as allegory. Others treat Daniel and Thessalonians as culturally irrelevant. In countless pulpits, prophecy is written off as “too divisive,” “too speculative,” or “not practical for everyday life.”
The result? A generation of Christians starving for answers in an age of global chaos–and instead of hearing from their pastors, they hear from Peter Thiel.
Isn’t it remarkable? The man who co-founded a surveillance giant like Palantir is willing to speculate on the Antichrist, while shepherds of God’s people pretend the subject doesn’t matter. Many churches, fearful of sensationalism, have abandoned eschatology altogether. The irony is devastating.
What Christians should take from this
Thiel’s lecture series is a flashing neon sign. It says: The world is interested in prophecy, even if the church is not.
Christians should not hand over the conversation about the Antichrist to billionaires, philosophers, or nonprofits mixing DJ parties with theology. If anything, this moment should awaken the church to reclaim the teaching of prophecy–not with wild speculation, but with biblical clarity.
We must discern motivation. Is Thiel trying to honor Christ, or is he reinterpreting Him through a Silicon Valley lens?
We must return to scripture. Not Girard, not Schmitt, not cultural Christianity. But Daniel, Paul, John, and Jesus’ own words about the end of the age.
We must confront cowardice. Pastors who avoid prophecy out of fear or ignorance are failing their flocks.
Who will speak with authority?
The irony is almost unbearable. A gay billionaire, steeped in power politics and tech culture, is willing to wrestle with the Antichrist. Meanwhile, many churches either avoid prophecy altogether or sneer at those who take it seriously.
This moment demands a decision. Will the church continue to abdicate the prophetic conversation to Silicon Valley elites, or will pastors rediscover their courage to preach the whole counsel of God–including the parts about judgment, deception, and the return of Christ?
One thing is certain: if the pulpit remains silent, others will fill the void. And as Peter Thiel’s lecture series shows, those voices will not always lead people closer to the truth.
by Tim Buck | Sep 26, 2024 | Church, Rapture
Rapture Index
Signs Are Up
9/26/24 – By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
The “index,” like the “stock market index,” refers to assessing all the indicators, signs, and measurements concerning the strength of the financial world.
Using this term for the “Rapture Index” is the same idea but taking all the prophetic signs occurring today in the world and using them to assess how close we are to the Rapture!
The rapture, the raising of the church to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:17), is the next event on the prophetic calendar and the greatest promise in Scripture to the church!.
It will occur in the twinkling of an eye without warning!
But according to Daniel and Revelation a groundswell of phenomena will emerge subtly in the last days, leading up to the Rapture, warning that the Tribulation is drawing near.
The events swirling around America, Israel and the Middle East strongly indicate we are running the final lap that leads into the last 7 years!
These signs will continue to multiply like birth pangs and increase our anticipation and expectation that the coming of the Lord is at the door!
Some are saying both the world and the church are nearing a point of no return. Even a tipping point.
Have we crossed the line in the end-time countdown?
by Tim Buck | Nov 2, 2023 | Church, Prophecy, Rapture
In The Twinkling
Of An Eye
11/2/23 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Don’t put off surrendering yourself to Jesus! Today is the day to be sold out to Him… not tomorrow!
Because of the many signs of the times and because of the promise of the Rapture, tomorrow may never come!
When the trumpet sounds, and the ‘shout of the archangel‘ is heard, it will be too late to surrender your life to the Lord.
When Jesus comes, it’s over… in an instant!
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Cor. 15:51-52
Twinkling, Blinking
There are numerous definitions for the twinkling or blinking of an eye. If the Apostle Paul is describing the speed of the rapture as a “twinkle,” then he’s describing something so fast, it’s difficult to comprehend.
The “twinkling of the eye” is the time it takes for light to enter the eye, reach the back of the eye, and be reflected back out. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so a twinkle amounts to about one billionth of a second.
The blinking is a bit slower. But still too fast to recognize. A blink lasts somewhere between 300 and 400 milliseconds, or considerably less than half a second.
Taking both of these into consideration, the reason why the Apostle Paul used this term was to assure us of the supernatural nature of the Rapture. He wanted to emphasis there is no human effort that can impede it, slow it down, or hold it back.
When it’s on, it’s on, and up we go defying gravity like superman! In the millisecond it takes to be raptured, we will find ourselves above earth’s atmosphere in our glorified bodies filled with joy and standing in the presence of the Lord! We will “meet the Lord in the air.”
Let’s just say it’s a supernatural event that takes place super-fast!
From Earth to Heaven and Back,
A Tour You’ll Never Forget
Living believers on earth, from every continent, will hear the upward call of the last trumpet and be instantly transformed into their glorified bodies, and at the same time be launched into the air to be with Jesus.
Our instantaneous
disappearance of being here one second and there the next has already been experienced by Enoch, Elijah, Jesus and even the disciples while still in their boat! (John 6:21)
The believer’s Itinerary after the Rapture is almost beyond comprehension. At the Rapture we will be escorted by Jesus through outer space to heaven and then He will usher us in to the Father’s House with exceeding joy! (Jude 24)
The church will spend seven years in heaven highlighted by the marriage of the Lamb just prior to descending back to earth with Jesus at His Second Coming! Revelation 19:14 depicts the church as the Lord’s army descending with Jesus to the Battle of Armageddon!
Every believer will make this roundtrip from earth to heaven and back. Oh what a bright future is in store for God’s children as we round-trip the universe with the omnipotent creator as our guide!
We’ve had some wonderful tour guides on our FOTET Tours, over the years in Israel, but nothing can compare to travelling through the universe with our creator and hearing Him calling the stars by name as we pass by! (Ps. 147:4)
The Prize of the Upward Call
After talking about his testimony and how he is still striving for “Christlikeness” in his life, the Apostle Paul admits he hasn’t quite reached it yet (Phil. 3:12-13). But he says this is why he is all-the-more eagerly looking for the Rapture.
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the UPWARD CALL of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14
The prize of the upward call we should be looking for is when we finally put on permanent Christlikeness which happens at the rapture when God calls us up to heaven and in His presence. The call is described in Revelation 4:1 as a voice yelling, “COME UP.” That’s when will instantly
receive the long-awaited prize of being “like Him for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
This twinkling moment of our ‘upward call’ could happen at any second. Just looking at world conditions today should be enough incentive for every believer to be ready to meet the Lord. He’s even at the door!
Don’t make the mistake of believing in can’t happen today! Because when it happens, it will be over before you realize it took place. Hallelujah!
Today, right now, would be a good time to call on Him.
by Tim Buck | Mar 2, 2023 | Church, Rapture
Does Your Church
Teach The Rapture?3/2/23 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Somewhere in the past, a tragic divorce occurred; theologians and pastors decided we must separate the return of Jesus for His church from the proclamation of the gospel. The results of this untimely divorce have led to a dearth of understanding among believers regarding Jesus’ appearing and the joyful anticipation that comes with such awareness.
Confused believers in most churches hear that they will surely die rather than meet Jesus in the air, which directly contradicts the New Testament in passages such as 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17. The Apostle Paul believed there would be many saints alive at the time of the Rapture, including himself, but preachers today are hesitant to even mention the imminent return of the Lord.
The divorce of the Rapture from the gospel has resulted in a near blackout of teaching about our “blessed hope” in churches today. This negatively impacts new believers as well as seasoned saints as it leaves them ill-prepared to live in a fear-ridden society because such teaching provides no prophetic context into which they can place the violence, lawlessness and deterioration of the culture.
The new converts in Thessalonica were so fixated on their soon departure from the earth that when some in their midst died, they grieved unnecessarily thinking they would miss out on the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-19). In response, Paul emphasized the primary place of the “dead in Christ” during the rapture telling his converts that Jesus would resurrect them first at His appearing (4:16).
Another sorrowful result of this divorce is that it takes the eyes of believers away from their ultimate hope at a time when they need such a focus. Instead, their eyes remain focused on earthly aspirations.
Few pastors talk about what happens at the moment Jesus returns for His church (1 Cor. 15:51-55; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17). Even those that believe these things rarely discuss the wealth of biblical content on the Rapture, or on the believers’ instant transformation to receive our glorified body, for fear that talking about the Rapture might hurt attendance.
When discussion on the Rapture ended some thirty years ago in the church and elsewhere, so did the whole body of the doctrine of eschatology. Roughly thirty percent of the Bible is predictive prophecy when written and you can’t become all that God wants you to be by cutting out thirty percent.
When Rapture teaching stopped so did any discussion of the Millennium, Israel’s key end-time role, the world trending toward the Tribulation, the building of the third temple in Jerusalem, the prominence of end-time deception, the push for peace by dividing Israel and so much more!
The sad result of decades of shelving the Rapture is that it’s become almost impossible for the average believer to understand the doctrinal reasons for the times we live in from a biblical and prophetic perspective! And right at a time when people need answers more than ever because they have questions as they observe the turmoil of our times.
So, does YOUR church teach the Rapture from the pulpit? If not, my suggestion is to find one that does! You’ll be glad you did!
Rumble
