For eight months during World War II, Nazi Germany bombed London, England in an attempt to conquer the nation. There are many photos of the devastation. The people of London had to spend long periods in the subways beneath the city for protection. Food and water were scarce. Many people lost their lives.
Most of us have never experienced anything like that and have been spared the deprivations that come with living in a war zone. But we can all understand that it would be miserable.
Recently, I came across another type of photo from those grim days. You can find it here: https://vibebuzzdaily.com/these-rare-historical-pictures-give-us-a-glimpse-into-a-time-gone-by-is/19/.
The photo was taken on Nov 4, 1940. The bombing had been going on for almost two months. The photo shows a house that the German bombs have severely damaged. The windows have been blown out. Debris, including much of the roof of the house, lies in the front yard.
If that is all you saw, you would label this a depressing picture. You would feel sorry for the people living in that home.
But one of those people, a young woman, is in the picture. She has just exited what used to be the front door, but has now been reduced to just an opening. In such an environment, you would expect the woman to look distraught.
Instead, she has an enormous smile on her face. She is dressed in a beautiful white dress and carries a bouquet of white roses. The photo says it is her wedding day, and she is going out to meet her husband.
When I saw that photo, I immediately thought of the Rapture of the Church. A bride is sometimes used in the NT as a symbol of the Church, and Christ is the Bridegroom. The NT also teaches that we live in a world that is, in a very real sense, at war. We are in a battle against evil forces. The world has been under a curse for thousands of years (Eph 6:12; Gen 3:17). From a Biblical perspective, our world is much like the city of London in November, 1940. To the degree that a believer is faithful to the Lord, he will suffer for that faithfulness. The suffering of the people of London could serve as an illustration.
But we are promised that our King is coming. He is like a bridegroom coming for his bride. When the Rapture occurs, it will be like that radiant woman coming out of the ruins to meet Him.
It is impossible to look at the photo and not see her joy. We should look forward to that day with the same joyous expectation. The Apostle John saw things that way. He was suffering for the Lord on the Island of Patmos when he wrote the book of Revelation. He spoke of the return of the Lord and said, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” Then, he gave his own view on the matter: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:17, 20).
What a day that will be! We will step out of this world of death and destruction and be with Him. I have no doubt that our expression will be just like the one on the face of that young woman in the photo. As we anticipate it, may it put a smile on our faces now.
