Mystery # 4 “The Imminent Rapture of the Church”
(I Cor. 15:51-58; I Thess. 4:13-18; John 14:1-3; 11:25-26; Phil. 3:18-21)
The 1st Mystery is “God was manifest in the flesh” (I Tim. 3:16. The 2nd is “Christ in you the Hope of Glory” (Col. 1:27). Faith in Mystery 1 made it possible for us to experience the salvation of Mystery 2 (2 Cor. 13:5). This made it possible for us to experience being part of the Mystery of the Church, His Bride (Eph. 5:25-32). The truth of Mystery 3 makes the Rapture of the Church inevitable. The truth of Mystery 1 & 2 makes the Rapture possible. The imminence of the Return of Christ for His Church was taught by the early church until the time of Augustine (400AD). His approach of spiritualizing and allegorizing Scripture instead of taking it literally, sent the church into a spiritual dark ages. But as God revealed to Daniel (Dan. 12:9) the details of the 2nd Coming of Christ and Rapture of the Church have become clear in these “Last Days” in which we live. This has happened in large part from the revival of the literal interpretation of prophetic Scriptures.
There are two key stages to the 2nd Coming of Christ which must be distinguished or you will misunderstand End Times Prophesy. The First part of the 2nd Coming is the Rapture when Jesus comes back ‘in the air’ to ‘snatch up’ His Bride (IThess. 4:14-17). The second part is called the Revelation or “The day of the LORD” (Rev. 19:11-16) when the LORD Jesus will return to earth, in great glory, with His Bride, to defeat the evil forces of satan, end of the Great Tribulation, and set up the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. The Rapture is one of the Mysteries of God not revealed in the O. T. (I Cor. 15:51-55). But the 2nd Coming of Christ in Kingly glory as Judge is clearly revealed in the O. T.
There are 3 major doctrinal systems for understanding the 2nd Coming of Christ, end time prophesy and the Millennium (1000 year kingdom of Christ mentioned 6 times in Rev. 20:1-7).
Post-millennialism – means after (post) the millennium. Jesus won’t return until after the Millennial Kingdom is ended (Catholic Church)
A-millennialism – means no (a) millennium. They spiritualize away the 1000 year Messianic Kingdom of Peace and teach the Church has replaced Israel in God’s eternal plan. (Most Protestant Denominations).
Pre-millennialism – means before (pre) before the millennium. The Millennium is a literal 1000 yr. reign of Christ set up after the Great Tribulation (Most Baptists and Evangelicals). God has separate eternal plans for both Israel & the Church. The two entities are totally different
YOU CAN FLEE THE WRATH TO COME!
If God’s wrath embraces the entire seven year period of the Great Tribulation & if the Church is promised exemption from His wrath, then pretribulationism is essentially established. The Great Tribulation is specifically revealed to be the time of “the wrath” of God. (Rev. 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:8, 10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15). The church is the Bride of Christ and the body of which He is the Head (Eph 1:22-23). Because of the Church’s oneness with Christ she cannot be subjected to the wrath of God. If your Ecclesiology is not right your Eschatology will be wrong
JESUS SAVES US FROM THE WRATH TO COME (I Thess. 5:9; Rom. 5:9-10; 9:21-23). Christians “wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (I Thess. 1:10). “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess. 5:9; see Rev. 3:10).
CHRIST’S GREAT PROMISE TO HIS FOLLOWERS: John 14:1-3
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, & receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”
Christians are “ambassadors” for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20). Before a Kingdom begins a war against another kingdom they call their ambassadors back home first! Jesus will be removing His ‘ambassadors’ from kingdoms of this World before all hell breaks loose (Rev. 9:1-12). Do you realize what Jesus says here? We will be house guests of God!
THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING A PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
1. Because in the end times many will deny the 2nd Coming of Christ
“…there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (4) saying, Where is the promise of his coming? (2 Pet. 3:3-4).
2. False teaching on the Rapture & 2nd Coming “shakes” Believer’s faith The “Day of the LORD” cannot happen before the Rapture of the church. Signs precede the Day of the LORD but no signs precede the Rapture.
“We beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, & that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:1-3)
The false teaching was that the Great Tribulation had started. This would only trouble them if Paul had taught them a pretribulation rapture.
3. Real Christians live in expectation of Christ’s imminent return
“(For many walk…as the enemies of the cross…who mind earthly things.) (20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Phil. 3:18-20; 4:5).
4. The immanency of the Rapture motivates us to persevere under
persecution so we don’t lose our reward. “For ye… took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance… (36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (37) For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (38) Now the just shall live by faith” (Heb. 10:34-39)
5. There is “a crown” for those who “love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).
“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2Tim. 4:8).
6. Rapture reality prevents us from forsaking public worship &
Christian fellowship. You can’t live a holy life without regular worship & fellowship. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25)
7. The Rapture is a source of great comfort to believers when they
mourn the death of loved ones (John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:18).
8. It is a strong motivation to repent & be ready for His coming
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.. (20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you” (Act 3:19-20)
9. Awareness that Christ could come at any moment is a powerful
motivation to live a holy life. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (3) every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself (I Joh 3:1-3). “… little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, & not be ashamed before him at his coming” (1Joh 2:28).
When asked what the greatest thought that ever crossed his mind was, Daniel Webster replied, “My accountability to Almighty God.”
10. The Rapture is when Believers get their glorified eternal spiritual
bodies and all our physical suffering and pain is over!
God “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil. 3:21; I Cor. 15:51-54).
IMMINENCY OF THE RAPTURE It is possible any day; impossible no day. The apostles never told the Christians to prepare for death but constantly warned them to be waiting for the Lord’s return. They were not watching for the “undertaker” but for the “Upper-taker!” (Matt.13:32-37; 24:36-44; Lk. 12:35-40). Are you waiting for the Coming of the LORD (I Cor. 1:7)? Jesus comes like a thief in the night (I Thess 5:2)
IT WILL BE AN AMAZING SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE
“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.
(14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) 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. (16) 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: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: & so shall we ever be with the Lord” (IThess. 4:13-7)
WE WANT TO BE CLOTHED BY LIFE NOT STRIPPED BY DEATH
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2) For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: (3) If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. (4) For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. (5) Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 5:1-5). If we understand the eminency of the Rapture rightly then our main desire is not to attain immortality through death & resurrection. No! Death is still an enemy (I Cor. 15:26, 55); Sins wages (Rom. 6:23). We long to attain immortality by being changed, “clothed upon” While we are alive! (I Cor. 15:51-55). If I am alive at Christ’s coming – I never taste death! (John 11:25-26)
What this inspired Word of God teaches us:
1. The body of a Christian is a tabernacle, a “tent – house.”
2. Death takes down the tent.
3. Christians receive another glorified body from God, heaven worthy.
4. In our present physical bodies [tents] we are weighed down & groan.
5. We do not want our tent taken down; for then we should be “naked.”
6. We want our soul to be “clothed upon” with our house from Heaven.
7. We want this mortal to put on immortality.
8. We do not want to die and go to Heaven; we want our mortal body to
be clothed upon, changed and made immortal.
9. The glorified body can only come to us by the Coming of Christ who
produces this “change.” So we long for that day more than anything!
Illustration:
When me and my sister were young children we use to regularly have babysitters when our parents went out in the evenings. Some of the babysitters were fun! Some weren’t. The fun ones were the ones that let us play wild games that normally our parents would never let us do in the house if they were home. I remember one of the fun babysitters in particular. We came up with this incredibly fun game we played with silly putty in the upstairs hall. Now my parent’s bedroom was at the end of the hall and a bathroom at the other end. One of us would be in the middle and one at each end of the hall. We would have to throw the silly putty from one end of the hall to the other without the person in the middle intercepting it. If they did the person who threw it had to go into the middle. It was wild because silly putty bounces so wildly! We had a great time doing something in the house we knew we shouldn’t be doing. But we weren’t worried because we knew what time our parents were coming home. We could stop and clean up long before they returned. No harm done and a great time had by all. Until one Saturday morning: I will never forget. For we were awakened to the loud angry sound of our name; and when my eyes caught sight of my Fathers face it was frightfully full of wrath, that I thought spelled my doom. It turns out, that unaware to us, the silly putty had hit and broken a precious clock on my father’s dresser. Our gig was over. Our deception was found out. It was a painfully unpleasant experience so I won’t go into the details. I will let your own imagination fill in the details of the judgment that befell us. (By the way we never saw that babysitter again!).
The moral of the story is that as long as we thought we knew what time my parents would return we thought we could get away with doing things we knew they didn’t approve of. We thought they would never find out. How wrong our human childish thoughts were! There were reasons for them not allowing us to do certain things in the house. After we learned that lesson we never tried to do that again. We played games that were just as fun but ones we knew would never cause possible damage or upset our parents if they found out.
God in His eternal wisdom has helped prevent us from falling into many hurtful sins by not telling us what time He is coming back for us to set us His eternal Kingdom. If we thought we knew the time we would start playing sinful games we shouldn’t, thinking it would be all right because we will stop before Christ returns to judge the world. But also we know “our sin will find us out.” We can hide nothing from God. So we should never do anything that would displease Him.
