(Blog) Good News of The End Times - Ep. 1002 - October 23, 2026

End-Times Hope: Revelation, Asteroids, and the Rapture

We believe humanity cannot stop the judgment foretold in Revelation, but Christ's return gives believers reason for hope. For those who belong to Him, the end of the story is victory, and that shapes how we read the warnings along the way.

In Episode 1002 of The Smith and Rowland Show, we discuss asteroid threats, biblical prophecy, and why we look forward to seeing Jesus. The conversation begins with a close approach from an asteroid named Apophis.

The 2029 Apophis Flyby and Signs in the Heavens

A close approach that puts Earth's vulnerability in view

On April 13, 2029, Apophis is expected to pass about 20,000 miles from Earth's surface. At approximately 1,100 feet across, it will pass closer than many satellites orbiting our planet.

Those are the figures presented in the article we discuss, titled "Can Humanity Stop What Revelation Says Is Coming From the Heavens?" The approaching flyby gives us a concrete starting point for considering humanity's vulnerability to events in space.

The article also states that no known large asteroid is currently on a collision course with Earth. Its discussion of planetary defense concerns possible hazards, rather than a confirmed incoming catastrophe.

What John saw on Patmos

Alongside the Apophis discussion, we read Revelation 6:13: "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

John received his vision on the island of Patmos. We consider whether some of what he described could involve asteroids, fragments of asteroids, or other objects striking Earth during the tribulation.

Other images enter the conversation as well: a mountain burning with fire thrown into the sea, a blazing star affecting Earth's waters, and stars falling as nations tremble. We understand these passages as descriptions of future judgment. That connection is our interpretation of Scripture, rather than a scientific conclusion about Apophis.

Why We Read Revelation as Future, Physical Events

The possibility of an object striking Earth raises a question we discuss directly: why assign an allegorical meaning to every description of falling stars or a burning mountain when physical events like these are possible?

Our reading expects literal fulfillment. We believe John's vision describes events that will happen, including judgments affecting the land, the seas, and humanity.

In contrast, we challenge interpretations that place these passages entirely in the past. The conversation mentions readings associated with AD 70 and Nero, where Revelation's imagery receives symbolic explanations tied to earlier historical events.

Jeff describes prophecy as a word that becomes active when God speaks it and remains active until its fulfillment. In that understanding, earlier events can be preliminaries without being the final fulfillment. The preliminary comes before the fulfillment, rather than replacing it.

We also call biblical prophecy a "sure word." Because we believe God has spoken, we expect His word to happen.

Alan identifies fear as one reason people may resist a literal reading, and Jeff agrees. Our conviction is that security in Christ allows believers to take these warnings seriously without losing their peace. God's word includes judgment, but it also gives His people a dependable promise.

Why Scientists Take Asteroid Threats Seriously

Past events show the potential damage

The article points to the 1908 Tunguska explosion in Siberia, which flattened approximately 800 square miles of forest. An event of that scale over a densely populated modern city could cause catastrophic destruction.

We also discuss the smaller meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013. Roughly 1,500 people suffered injuries, primarily because of shattered windows. It approached from the direction of the sun, which made advance detection difficult.

These events explain why scientists study impact hazards. We discuss them as examples of physical danger, without identifying either event as the fulfillment of a particular prophecy.

Tracking, simulations, and NASA's DART mission

Scientific preparations include detecting and tracking approaching objects, studying ways to change their paths, and practicing responses to hypothetical impacts.

The article describes preparations for the 2027 Planetary Defense Conference, including a hypothetical impact scenario involving an object comparable to the one associated with Tunguska. It also mentions research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory into whether nuclear explosions could deflect or disrupt threatening asteroids.

NASA's DART mission provides another example. The spacecraft deliberately struck an asteroid moonlet and changed its orbit.

These efforts address a hazard that history shows is possible. As we note in the conversation, however, preparing for a possible natural disaster and preventing God's foretold judgment are different claims.

Why We Believe God's Judgment Cannot Be Stopped

Our answer to the article's central question rests on the nature of the events described in Revelation. We understand the tribulation as God's wrath against sin, rather than simply a series of unrelated disasters.

Jeff distinguishes several aspects of that judgment. Some concern the land itself. Others concern humanity, political powers, and spiritual rebellion.

In our reading of Daniel and Revelation, this period includes God's work to bring an end to sin, purge the earth, and remove the powers that oppose Him. Human technology cannot overturn that sovereign purpose.

Revelation's picture of people calling on the rocks and mountains to fall on them expresses the terror of facing that judgment. They seek shelter from the face of God because they cannot stand against Him.

We even note the familiar insurance phrase "act of God." People use that language for destructive natural events, while theological discussions can resist the possibility that God will judge through physical events.

Our point concerns the limits of human control. Scientific preparations address possible impact hazards. We believe the judgment God has foretold will happen according to His plan.

Where We Place the Rapture in the Tribulation Timeline

Before the seven-year period begins

We discuss the tribulation as a seven-year period. The first three and a half years are less severe than the final three and a half years, when the suffering intensifies.

When Alan asks Jeff where he places the rapture, Jeff gives a firm answer: before the tribulation begins, rather than at its midpoint. He places it before the Antichrist confirms the covenant associated with the seven-year period.

Jeff connects that position to a distinction between God's dealings with Israel and the church. In his reading, Revelation makes that distinction plain, and the church's removal precedes the judgment under discussion.

The Holy Spirit as the restrainer

Second Thessalonians 2 is central to our reasoning. We understand the "restrainer" in that passage to be the Holy Spirit, who presently works through believers.

In our interpretation, the rapture removes the church and takes the restrainer out of the way. The man of sin can then be revealed.

That sequence explains why we believe Christians who belong to Christ now won't remain on Earth for the outpouring of wrath described in Revelation. Our expectation of the rapture follows our reading of those passages together.

We also discuss wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and signs in the heavens. Alan connects the heavenly signs to Joel's prophecy and its appearance in Acts 2. We see such signs as reminders that Christ's return is drawing closer.

Why the Return of Jesus Is Our Blessed Hope

People sometimes describe our end-times conversations as "doom and gloom." We understand why the judgments sound frightening, but our expectation centers on being with Jesus.

We look forward to meeting Him in the air. We also anticipate the transformation Scripture describes as happening in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The promise includes new bodies and likeness to Christ.

For Jeff, that hope belongs to a transforming relationship with Jesus. He prays, "Even so, come Lord Jesus," because he wants to see the Savior more than he wants to preserve every earthly plan.

We also address the claim that someone is tough enough to endure the tribulation. Confidence in personal toughness doesn't explain our position. We understand the church to be the bride, the Lamb's wife, and we expect Christ to care for His bride.

That security changes how we face death as well. We believe Christ has removed death's sting for the Christian. Because of Him, the future holds a joy greater than the losses and interruptions we fear in this life.

Our blessed hope is why we can speak seriously about judgment and still look ahead with gladness.

Preparing for Eternity Alongside Life on Earth

Jeff raises a concern about priorities: people may spend years preparing for retirement, which could last only a handful of years, while giving little thought to eternity.

He directs that concern toward professing Christians. If we believe eternal life lasts forever, our attention to it should reflect that belief.

Alan makes a related point during the discussion of climate change and efforts to preserve the planet. He explicitly says he doesn't want to hurry Earth's destruction. His concern is the assumption that we can remain here indefinitely while neglecting what comes afterward.

The conversation also addresses reasons people give for wanting Christ's return delayed. They may want to advance a career, have another child, or fulfill a personal ambition.

Jeff's challenge is blunt: wanting those things more than Christ's appearing reveals an attachment to this world that needs examination. In his view, understanding the promised transformation would make believers eager to be with Jesus.

He expresses his own desire plainly:

"I pray to God he interrupts every plan I have on planet Earth for the rapture."

That statement captures the priority behind our discussion. We have earthly plans, but our deepest expectation is Christ.

God's Mercy Is Central to the Warning

The gospel invitation remains at the center of this conversation. Although we believe humanity cannot cancel God's judgment, we also believe individuals can receive His mercy.

Our appeal is to repent of sin, turn to Jesus Christ, and give Him our lives. We describe that invitation in terms of grace and peace, along with the goodness and contentment found in life with Him.

Alan puts it simply: God wants people to choose Him. We speak of Him as the embodiment of love, who offers mercy before the coming judgment.

We also connect this invitation with the promise that believers haven't been appointed to wrath. In our understanding, salvation in Christ is the way to escape the wrath to come.

God's patience matters here. We describe the roughly 2,000 years since Christ's cross as an extended period of grace. Throughout that time, God has continued calling people to Himself.

The Holy Spirit's present work through believers is part of that discussion. We believe restraint remains in place until the appointed time, when the sequence described in our reading of prophecy begins.

The warning therefore carries an invitation. The God whose judgment we take seriously is the same God who offers mercy through Jesus Christ.

Revival and the Restoration of God's Kingdom

Our discussion of the tribulation also includes mercy during the time of wrath.

We expect a great revival. People will preach, and many from nations throughout the world will repent and receive the gospel of God's kingdom. They will await Christ's second coming and the restoration of His kingdom on Earth.

That expectation keeps the conversation from ending with destruction. Judgment has a purpose in our reading: God brings sin and rebellion to an end and restores what belongs to Him.

We also look forward to Christ's thousand-year reign. We speak about an earth that will be revived and remade, with mountains and seas to enjoy in the presence of our Lord.

Those promises explain our excitement. The future we anticipate includes the defeat of evil, the reign of Christ, and life in His restored kingdom.

Serious Convictions With the Show's Familiar Humor

The conversation carries the familiar humor of The Smith and Rowland Show throughout. It opens with a playful sponsorship routine about "Inkpen" and "tincture," followed by jokes about two older men on a couch discussing the end of the world.

Even the discussion of Christ caring for His bride brings a joke about Alan's 53 years of marriage and special treatment for his wife.

Near the end, we picture a future podcast broadcasting from the heavenly Jerusalem. The imagined guest list includes the Apostle John to explain Revelation, Philip the evangelist offering to arrive by translation instead of Zoom, and Elijah coming in a chariot of fire.

The laughter fits the confidence behind the conversation. We take the warnings seriously, and we look forward to the Lord who has promised to return.

The Good News Is That Christ Will Return

Our answer remains clear: humanity cannot stop what God has foretold. For believers, that certainty includes the promise of Christ's return and the restoration of His kingdom.

The same Scriptures that warn of judgment also direct us toward hope in Christ. That's why we can discuss the end times with joy.

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