Eschatology 1 Of 16 The Rapture Of The Church

We hope these exciting things we are going to be reading about will take place during our life time, but if not during our life time, we know they will take place in the life of some Believers who will be living on the earth.

Beloved, I am talking about the RAPTURE OF THE BELIEVERS!

IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH SOMETHING WE CAN KNOW ABOUT? The word of God states that it is.

Look at 1 Thess. 4:13, we read, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

Look at the word “Ignorant” this is the Greek word “agnoeo”, (pronounced as, ag-no-eh'-o) which means - not to know, through lack of information or intelligence.

God does not want us to be ignorant about the RAPTURE. He says in 1 Thess. 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Can we find comfort in something we do not even know anything about?

We can not, that is why God’s Word says, concerning the RAPTURE, “I would not have you to be ignorant brethren…”

As we look at THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, we need to be careful to distinguish between the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH and the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Some think they are the same, but THEY ARE NOT!

• THE RAPTURE – This is where Christ will descend to a point in the air and will call His Children to meet Him in the air. During the RAPTURE, He does not set foot on this earth.

• THE SECOND COMING of the Lord -- Here, the Lord will literally come all the way back to this earth.

These are two different events. In fact, they are separated by a seven year period known as the Tribulation period.

I. WHAT THE RAPTURE IS

Let’s look at some GENERAL THINGS about the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

A. WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE DEFINITION OF THE RAPTURE

Someone said, “The rapture is the state of being transported from one place to the other.” That is a good scriptural definition.

Look at 1 Thess. 4:15-18, we read, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

B. WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHO WILL BE TRANSPORTED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER IN THE RAPTURE

The RAPTURE will affect two groups of people:

(1) THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST

When Christ raptures the church, the Bible tells us that the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Look at 1 Cor. 15:51-52, we read, “Behold, I show 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Notice, Paul says, “I show you a mystery”. I do not know how it is going to happen, nor does anyone else, all we know is that one day Christ is going to rapture the church, and the Bible says that all those who have died in Christ will be taken up and given their glorified bodies.

If as a child of God this evening, you die before the Lord RAPTURES THE CHURCH, you will be a part of that group that will be RESURRECTED FROM AMONG THE DEAD.

But if you are living when Christ comes back, and you are a child of God, you will experience-

(2) THE TRANSLATION OF THE LIVING IN CHRIST

Look at the last part of verse 52 that speaks of the living, we read, “…and we shall be changed.”

HOW WILL WE BE CHANGED? Notice, two things:

a. WE SHALL BE CHANGED FROM MORTAL TO IMMORTAL

A transformation will take place and these mortal bodies will become glorified bodies.

Look at 1 Cor. 15:53, we read, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

b. WE SHALL BE CHANGED INSTANTLY

HOW FAST WILL WE BE CHANGED? The Bible says in verse 52, “…In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

Illus: Ladies, you take hours and hours to get ready to go somewhere, but when the rapture of the church takes place, you are going to experience the greatest and fastest change of your life. One moment you will be in this fleshly body that is cursed with sin, sickness, and aging, and all of a sudden you are going to be in your glorified bodies and look the best you ever looked.