The rapture of the church.
Rev. 4:1-2
After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. 2 and immediately, I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
John said after this, which he is saying after the warnings and rebukes to the churches. You may remember that the book of revelation is broken down into 3 sections, the things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
The things which you have seen, describes the introduction and the description of the resurrected Christ.
The things which are, are the things concerning the church.
And the things which shall be herafter, include the rapture of the church, the 7 year tribulation which include the seal, trumpet, and vial judgements, the reign of the antichrist, and the destruction of Babylon. The Glorious appearing of Christ. The binding of satan, the Millenial kingdom of Christ, and the final judgement. And finally the eternal order called Heaven.
Approximately 95 percent of the book of revelation deals with prophecy, and we will be focusing on some of that tonight.
The 1st 3 chapters of the book, deal with the churches. While some people teach that these are 7 different dispensations, or ages of the church, it is clear that these are seven different characteristics of the church of today.
7 Churches/Characteristics
Ephesus-Strayed from their first love/Jesus was telling them to get back to where they first fell in love……
Smyrna- The Trying of your faith works patience/ do not quit/comes from Myrrh….
Pergamos- quit trying to be like the world/ come out from among them and……….
Thyatira- get rid of the jezebel spirit in the church/ rebellion…
Sardis- get rid of the dead religion/ whited sepulchers
Philadelphia-we have one more confirmation that we will not go through the tribulation, I will keep the from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world……
Laodicea- Do not confuse material riches with the blessings of God./ quit being lukewarm Christians. You make me sick !!!
The letters to these churches were not given in any specific geographical order, nor alphabetical, but set in order by God.
When Jesus was speaking to these churches, not only did he give rebuke, but also promises.
The order of the promises in the seven epistles corresponds to that of the unfolding of the kingdom of God its first beginnings on earth to its consummation in heaven. To the faithful at Ephesus: (1) The tree of life in the Paradise of God is promised (Rev 2:7), answering to Ge 2:9. (2) Sin entered the world and death by sin; but to the faithful at Smyrna it is promised, they shall not be hurt by the second death (Rev 2:11). (3) The promise of the hidden manna (Rev 2:17) to Pergamos brings us to the Mosaic period, the Church in the wilderness. (4) That to Thyatira, namely, triumph over the nations (Rev 2:26, 27), forms the consummation of the kingdom in prophetic type, the period of David and Solomon characterized by this power of the nations. Here there is a division, the seven falling into two groups, four and three, as often, for example, the Lord’s Prayer, three and four. The scenery of the last three passes from earth to heaven, the Church contemplated as triumphant, with its steps from glory to glory. (5) Christ promises to the believer of Sardis not to blot his name out of the book of life but to confess him before His Father and the angels at the judgment-day, and clothe him with a glorified body of dazzling whiteness (Rev 3:4, 5). (6) To the faithful at Philadelphia Christ promises they shall be citizens of the new Jerusalem, fixed as immovable pillars there, where city and temple are one (Rev 3:12); here not only individual salvation is promised to the believer, as in the case of Sardis, but also privileges in the blessed communion of the Church triumphant. (7) Lastly, to the faithful of Laodicea is given the crowning promise, not only the two former blessings, but a seat with Christ on His throne, even as He has sat with His Father on His Father’s throne (Rev 3:21).
So we can clearly see, that God was leading up to something, in his description to these churches. What a mighty God we serve.
The thing which we are being led up to, is the rapture of the church. Directly after Jesus finished describing the churches, John wrote, and Immediately I was in the spirit. Immediately after the church, he was in heaven.
This is where it gets good! Many people will say the word rapture is not even in the bible, so how can you say that we will be raptured? The burden that God has laid upon my heart, is to share with you, so when people ask, you can without a doubt explain why and how we are going to be raptured.
The word church is used 19 times in the book of Revelation up to this point, after the writings to the churches, we do not see the word church again until Chapter 22, which is long after the tribulation. A lot of people will teach that the church is going to go through the tribulation, but it is a promise of God himself that he would not that any man should suffer.
Jesus said in Jn. 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. In my fathers house are many mansions, If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
That where I am, there you may be also. During the tribulation, Jesus is in heaven. That is where we, the church will be also. In our mansion which was built by the master carpenter himself!
Scripture plainly teaches that the Lord is going to come back for his own, before the tribulation begins.
There are some points that could tend to be confusing, The Lord is coming back just before the tribulation, and just after the tribulation. The first coming will be the rapture of the church, and the second will be the Glorious appearing, or second coming of Christ.
1.When the rapture occurs, Christ comes in the air for his own, Raptures the Christians and take us to his fathers house( Heaven). It could happen at any moment, there is nothing else prophetically speaking that needs to be fulfilled. The rapture is for believers only, leaving behind those who are not ready to meet their maker.
2. The second coming. Christ comes with his own to the earth. No one will be raptured, Christ judges the inhabitants of the earth, and sets up his kingdom. This will not happen until at least 7 years after the rapture, and immediately following the tribulation.
1 Cor. 15:51-53 Tells us of the rapture. Behold, I show unto you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but 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 rasied incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This could happen at any time.
The return of Christ for his believers is imminent.
Phil. 3:20 But we are citizens of the state, the commonwealth, and homeland, which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly, and patiently await, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as savior.
Col. 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory.
Christ is coming back soon, and he is coming for his people.
1 Thess. 1:10 and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Jesus has delivered us from the wrath that will cover the earth.
2 Tim. 4:8 Paul told Timothy, his son if the Faith, Now there is in store for me the crown of Righteousnes, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
1 Pet. 5:4 and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of Glory, that will never fade away.
James 5:7-9 Be patient then brothers until the Lords coming. See how the farmer waits for the Land to yield its valuable crop, and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too be patient, and stand firm, because the Lords coming is near.
Jude 21 Keep yourselves in God’s Love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Rev. 2:25 only hold on to what you have until I come.
This is probably the most popular scripture used to describe the rapture of the church, and what will take place when it occurs.
1 Thess. 4:13-18 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring, with Jesus, those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 according to the lords own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not preceed those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, after that we who are still alive, and are left, will be caught up together with them in the cluds to meet the lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
The dead in Christ shall rise first, after that, we who are still alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air!!! The graves will bust open, and the saints of God who have gone on before us will receive glorified bodies, and then in an instant, we will be changed, from corruptible, to incorruptible, and be with the Lord forever.
When a person dies, the body dies, but their spirit lives on.
Do not be confused, when a believer passes away, they are living with Christ in heaven. We do not believe in soul sleep, nor pergatory, nor does the bible teach that doctrine.
When Christ was on the cross with the thief, he looked at him, and told him, this day you will be with me in paradise. When Jesus left the cross, he went directly to paradise, and according to Eph. 4:8-10 He ascended on high, led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
Christ took all of the souls which were in shoel-hades, and took the captivity captive, and led them to the fathers house. He that descended, is the same that ascended, and took the keys of death and hell from Satan.
Paradise, which used to be a compartment of sheol-hades, is now in heaven. Our loved ones who have gone on, are not asleep in the grave, nor in shoel waiting, but they are on the streets of gold, rejoicing with the father. They do not have to lay in wait, they are crying holy, holy, holy.
Our loved ones who have gone on, are not hurting any more, they are not in pain, or suffering in any way. Revelation 7:15-17 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of them shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes.
The bible says to be absent from this body, is to be present with the Lord.
Christ is coming soon, its time to get ready. Its time for us to share this message with as many people as possible, you may be the only light that some people ever see.
The bible says that the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.
We need to be like Paul revere, the Lord is coming, the Lord is coming.
