GOING HOME: THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58
RES. RD.: REVELATION 4:1-11
THE GLOBAL NEWS NETWORK (GNN) WAS OVERWEALMED BY ASTONISHING INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED ALL OVER THE WORLD, FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
TELEPHONE OPERATORS, FIRST A FEW, THEN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD REPORTED FRANTIC CALLS FROM PEOPLE REGARDING MISSING LOVED ONES.
ONE HUSBAND REPORTED, “I TURNED ON THE LIGHT TO ASK MY WIFE IF SHE REMEMBERED TO SET THE ALARM CLOCK, BUT SHE WAS GONE. HER BEDCLOTHES WERE THERE, HER WATCH WAS ON THE FLOOR, BUT SHE HAD VANISHED.
ANOTHER WOMAN CALLER REPORTED, “MY HUSBAND JUST RETURNED FROM THE LATE SHIFT. AS I KISSED HIM, HE JUST DISAPPEARED IN MY ARMS. ALL I WAS HOLDING WAS HIS CLOTHES.
ANOTHER INCIDENT AT A WEDDING, REPORTS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A GROOM, AS HE IS PUTTING THE RING ON THE BRIDE’S FINGER.
A FUNERAL HOME IN AUSTRALIA REPORTS THAT NEARLY ALL THE MOURNERS AT A SERVICE DISAPPEARED, AS WELL AS THE CORPSE. THE SAME FUNERAL HOME REPORTING OF ANOTHER SERVICE HELD AT THE VERY SAME TIME, HAD ONLY A FEW DISAPPEARANCES, AND THE CORPSE REMAINED.
ANOTHER FUNERAL HOME REPORTED THAT THREE OF SIX PALLBEARERS STUMBLED WITH THE CASKET, AS THREE PALLBEARERS MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. WHEN THEY OPENED THE CASKET TO CHECK ON THE BODY, IT WAS GONE.
THOUSANDS OF REPORTS OF MASS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, TRAIN DERAILMENTS, PLANE CRASHES, ALL WITH ONE THING IN COMMON. THE DRIVERS OF ALL THESE THINGS HAD MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED WITH NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION, EXCEPT THE ONE I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
THE NEXT MAJOR PROPHETIC ELEMENT CONCERNING THE LAST DAYS THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT, IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DAY, BUT FOR ALL OTHER PEOPLE, THIS WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF THEIR GREATEST NIGHTMARE AS THOSE LEFT BEHIND WILL EXPERIENCE THE SEVEN YEAR PERIOD OF TIME KNOWN AS THE TRIBULATION.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ONLY PRE-MILLENNIALISTS BELIEVE IN THE LITERAL RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. WHILE THE WORD “RAPTURE” DOESN’T OCCUR IN SCRIPTURE, THE CONCEPT OF THE RAPTURE IS SPOKEN OF IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18, 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58, AND JOHN 14:1-3, TO NAME A FEW.
JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT THE RAPTURE IN MATTHEW 24
MATTHEW 24:37-42:
AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, SO IT WILL BE AT THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. 38 FOR IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD, PEOPLE WERE EATING AND DRINKING, MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE, UP TO THE DAY NOAH ENTERED THE ARK; 39 AND THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN UNTIL THE FLOOD CAME AND TOOK THEM ALL AWAY. THAT IS HOW IT WILL BE AT THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. 40 TWO MEN WILL BE IN THE FIELD; ONE WILL BE TAKEN AND THE OTHER LEFT. 41 TWO WOMEN WILL BE GRINDING WITH A HAND MILL; ONE WILL BE TAKEN AND THE OTHER LEFT. 42 “THEREFORE KEEP WATCH, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW ON WHAT DAY YOUR LORD WILL COME.
THE WORD “RAPURE” COMES FROM A FOURTH CENTURY LATIN VULGATE TRANSLATION FOR THE GREEK WORD “HARPADZO” WHICH OCCURS IN 1 THESSALONIANS 4:17. SOME TRANSLATORS HAVE USED THE WORDS “CAUGHT UP” OR “SNATCHED”, TO INDICATE THAT THE TRANSFORMATION TO OUR “INCORRUPTILE HEAVENLY BODIES” WILL OCCUR INSTANTLY, AS PAUL SAYS “IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE.”
ENOCH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE RAPTURE.
GENESIS 5:24: ENOCH WALKED FAITHFULLY WITH GOD; THEN HE WAS NO MORE, BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM AWAY.
FROM PAUL’S WRITING TO THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH WE LEARN THAT THE RAPTURE IS NOT ONLY FOR THOSE BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS WHO WERE ALIVE AT THE COMING OF CHRIST, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS AT THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH.
PAUL WAS THE APOSTLE WHO GAVE US MOST OF THE WRITING CONCERNING THE RAPTURE. HIS LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS AND THE THESSALONIANS LEAD US TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING IT.
1. THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND WITH A SHOUT AND THE TRUMPET CALL OF GOD. THIS SHOUT HOWEVER WILL ONLY BE HEARD BY CHRISTIANS WHO ARE READY TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. HE WILL DESCEND AND HIS CHURCH WILL BE RAISED TO MEET HIM.
2. WE WILL BE CHANGED INSTANTLY. OUR BODIES WILL BE TRANSFORMED FROM THESE MORTAL SINFUL BODIES, TO IMMORTAL INCORRUPTIBLE ONES. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO LIVE FOREVER WITH CHRIST. THIS CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE.
3. THIS TRANSFORMATION WILL BE PHYSICAL. THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE WILL HAVE PHYSICALLY INCORRUPTIBLE BODIES, NOT TAINTED BY SIN. THERE WILL BE A RESURRECTION OF DEAD BELIEVERS. THEIR BODIES WILL BE REFORMED AND REUNITE WITH THEIR SOULS AND FOREVER LIVE WITH THE LORD.
4. THE CHURCH WILL MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. WE WILL RISE TO BE WITH HIM. JESUS WILL NOT SET FOOT ON EARTH UNTIL THE TIME OF THE GLORIOUS APPEARING AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION.
5. THESE ARE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO BIBLE BELIEVING CHRISTIANS TODAY. PAUL TOLD THE THESSALONIANS “AND SO WE SHALL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER.” CONSIDER THE WORDS OF COMFORT PAUL GAVE TO THE CORINTHIANS:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:56-58:
THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW. 57 BUT THANKS BE TO GOD! HE GIVES US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 58 THEREFORE, MY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, STAND FIRM. LET NOTHING MOVE YOU. ALWAYS GIVE YOURSELVES FULLY TO THE WORK OF THE LORD, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN.
LET ME BE CLEAR, THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST WILL HAPPEN IN TWO INSTALLMENTS. THE RAPTURE WHILE IT WILL BE GLORIOUS, IS NOT CHRIST’S GLORIOUS RETURN.
DR. DAVID L. COOPER OFTEN COMPARED THE SECOND COMING TO A TWO ACT PLAY SEPERATED BY A SEVEN YEAR INTERMISSION (THE TRIBULATION.)
WHILE WE CANNOT KNOW THE EXACT TIMING OF THE RAPTURE, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR DIFFERENT THEORIES CONCERNING THE RAPTURE WITH REGARD TO THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
1. THE POST-TRIBULATION VIEW SUGGESTS THAT THE RAPTURE WILL HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION.
2. THE MID-TRIBULATION VIEW SUGGESTS THAT THE RAPTURE WILL OCCUR PARTWAY THROUGH THE TRIBULATION.
3. PARTIAL-RAPTURE VIEW SUGGESTS THAT ONLY ESPECIALLY QUALIFIED SAINTS WILL BE RAPTURED BEFORE THE TRIBULATION, WHILE THE OTHERS WILL BE RAPTURED DURING THE TRIBULATION OR AT ITS CLOSE WHEN THEY QUALIFY.
I FIND NONE OF THESE VIEWS TO HAVE A BIBLICAL BASIS, AND RATHER THAN WASTE TIME EXPLAINING WHY I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THE VIEW THAT I BELIEVE TO BE THE MOST BIBLICALLY ACCURATE. THAT VIEW IS THE PRE-TRIBULATION VIEW.
THE PRE-TRIBULATION VIEW STATES THAT THE CHURCH IS RAPTURED BEFORE THE TRIBULATION BEGINS. THERE ARE TWO ESSENTIAL PRE-SUPPOSITIONS WITH THIS VIEW.
1. THE DEFINITION OF THE CHURCH AS A SEPARATE BODY OF SAINTS DISTINCT FROM THE SAINTS OF OTHER AGES. THE RAPTURE IS THE TAKING UP OF THE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH IS A NEW TESTAMENT PHENOMENA. OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS FOR EXAMPLE WILL BE RAISED AS PART OF THE GLORIOUS APPEARING AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION. LET ME BE CLEAR THAT ALL SAINTS BOTH OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS, WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH CHRIST ON THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH, AND ENJOY HIS BLESSINGS.
2. THE DOCTRINE OF A LITERAL FUTURE TRIBULATION OF UNPRECEDENTED SEVERITY. THE TRIBULATION IS A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH I BELIEVE OCCURS AFTER THE RAPTURE AND BEFORE CHRIST’S GLORIOUS APPEARING. IT IS A TIME OF GREAT EVIL AND JUDGMENT FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT ACCEPT CHRIST. IN REALITY IT IS ALSO ONE FINAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVIOUR AND LORD. MOST IF NOT ALL PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT CHRIST DURING THIS TIME WILL BE MARTYRED FOR THEIR FAITH. THOSE WHO DO NOT WILL FACE AN ETERNITY IN HELL.
THERE ARE FOUR REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER THE PRE-TRIBULATION VIEW:
1. THE LORD HIMSELF PROMISED TO DELIVER US.
REVELATION 3:10: SINCE YOU HAVE KEPT MY COMMAND TO ENDURE PATIENTLY, I WILL ALSO KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TRIAL THAT IS GOING TO COME ON THE WHOLE WORLD TO TEST THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH.
THIS PROMISE WAS MADE TO THE CHURCH OF PHILADELPHIA, AND IS DESCRIBED AS A GOOD CHURCH. THIS PROMISE IS MADE TO THE CHURCH BEFORE THE RAPTURE AND IN DOING SO JESUS IS SAYING THAT HE WILL KEEP HIS CHURCH FROM THE “HOUR OF TRIAL” THAT IS GOING TO TEST THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH. IN OTHER WORDS GOD IS GOING TO KEEP HIS CHURCH FROM THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
THE WORD “FROM” IN THIS VERSE IN THE GREEK LITERALLY MEANS “OUT OF”. GOD IS SAYING THAT HE WILL KEEP HIS CHURCH “OUT OF” THE TRIBULATION.
2. THE CHURCH IS TO BE DELIVERED FROM THE WRATH TO COME.
1 THESSALONIANS 1:9-10:
FOR THEY THEMSELVES REPORT WHAT KIND OF RECEPTION YOU GAVE US. THEY TELL HOW YOU TURNED TO GOD FROM IDOLS TO SERVE THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD, 10 AND TO WAIT FOR HIS SON FROM HEAVEN, WHOM HE RAISED FROM THE DEAD—JESUS, WHO RESCUES US FROM THE COMING WRATH.
PAUL IS COMMENDING THIS YOUNG CHURCH FOR THEIR FAITH IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION. HE REMINDS THEM OF JESUS WHO DELIVERS US FROM THE WRATH TO COME. PAUL IS TELLING THE THESSALONIANS AND BORN-AGAIN BELIEVERS TODAY THAT THEY NEED NOT FEAR THE TEMPORARY TRIALS OF THIS WORLD FOR THEY HAVE BEEN RESCUED THROUGH JESUS’ RESURRECTION. DEATH HAS NO HOLD ON US, NOR DOES THE TRIBULATION THAT IS TO COME.
3. CHRISTIANS ARE NOT APPOINTED TO WRATH.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:9-11:
FOR GOD DID NOT APPOINT US TO SUFFER WRATH BUT TO RECEIVE SALVATION THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. 10 HE DIED FOR US SO THAT, WHETHER WE ARE AWAKE OR ASLEEP, WE MAY LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM. 11 THEREFORE ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP, JUST AS IN FACT YOU ARE DOING.
THIS PASSAGE FOLLOWS THE STRONGEST TEACHING IN THE BIBLE CONCERNING THE RAPTURE AND MUST BE TAKEN IN THIS CONTEXT. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT TRIBULATION SAINTS WILL BE DELIVERED FROM THE TRIBULATION. AS I SAID MOST IF NOT ALL WILL SUFFER MARTYRDOM.
THE TRIBULATION IS THE TIME OF JUDGMENT AND THE WRATH OF GOD ON THE SIN OF THE EARTH. CHRISTIANS ARE NOT APPOINTED TO WRATH, TO THEREFORE CHRISTIANS WILL BE DELIVERED FROM THIS TIME BEFORE IT OCCURS.
4. THE CHURCH IS ABSENT FROM THE EARTH FROM BETWEEN REVELATION CHAPTER 4-18. THEOLOGIANS PLACE THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH AT THE END OF REVELATION CHAPTER 3. CHAPTERS 4 THROUGH 18 DESCRIBE THE EVENTS AND JUDGMENTS OF THE TRIBULATION. THE CHURCH IS NEVER MENTIONED HERE NOR SEEN AGAIN UNTIL CHAPTER 19 AND CHRIST’S GLORIOUS APPEARING. WHY IS THAT? IT IS BECAUSE THE CHURCH ISN’T HERE. IT HAS BEEN RAPTURED.
CONCLUSION:
ONE OF THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS THAT IT WILL BRE SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED, AND WILL CATCH PEOPLE BY SURPRISE.
MATTHEW 24:44: SO YOU ALSO MUST BE READY, BECAUSE THE SON OF MAN WILL COME AT AN HOUR WHEN YOU DO NOT EXPECT HIM.
GOD IN HIS WISE PROVIDENCE, HAS DESIGNED BIBLE PROPHECY IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE RAPTURE HAS APPEARED IMMINENT TO CHRISTIANS OF EVERY GENERATION. ONE DAY AND I BELIEVE THAT DAY IS SOON THIS PROPHECY WILL BE FULFILLED.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL IF TODAY SHOULD BE THAT DAY. THINK ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. WILL THEY STAY OR REMAIN? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THEM REALIZE THEIR NEED OF THE LORD? ONE THING IS FOR SURE, NOTHING SHOULD BE A BETTER MOTIVATOR THAN TO BELIEVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART THAT CHRIST COULD COME BACK AT ANY MOMENT.
OUR END TIMES CLOCK NOW STANDS AT 11:50.
