In our study of the Resurrection and what scripture tells us, we read the introduction of the topic of a resurrection by our Lord, Jesus Christ. (The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail) Last week we studied the resurrection as spoken by Jesus and his Apostles. (Resurrection?) We have determined there will be a resurrection of the saints. Jesus shall come in the clouds and harvest the earth of all the saints; all who are held in Paradise first and then all who are alive at his coming following them.
The next logical question is, “When shall the Resurrection come?” Many have pondered this question over many years. Many have made predictions of a time and date. They all have been wrong.
Today, I will tell you when the Resurrection shall take place. Let us investigate the coming Resurrection which some call a Rapture. We will define this term, Rapture in our lesson today.
First, when shall the resurrection take place? There are certain events which must take place before the resurrection occurs.
First, the vine must be ripe. Last week we read Revelation 14:14-16 proving there shall be a harvest or resurrection of the saints to be with the Lord. In verse 14-15 we read, 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
The time of the resurrection shall be when the vine or earth is ripe. We realize the author is referring to a vine in reference to the saints being a part of a vine. John 15 tells us Jesus is the vine and the saints are the branches. We will see this same analogy a moment further in Revelation 14.
Let us understand this analogy of becoming ‘ripe’ and the ‘vine’. We associate a vine being a vineyard of grape vines. A husbandman tends the vineyard. John 15:1. 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Jesus tells us God is the husbandman over the vineyard. It is the husbandman who determines when to harvest the vineyard at the peak of harvest of good grapes.
Angels are servants to God as well as to the saints. God tells an angel to tell Jesus, the being upon the white cloud, to thrust in his sickle and reap. To reap is to harvest. What is he harvesting? The saints. When will this take place? When the harvest of the earth is ripe. Who determines when the vine is ripe? The husbandman–God Almighty, Jehovah. It is at this point the harvest shall be declared and done.
Jesus told his apostles while he was physically alive upon the earth this same message. Matthew 24 speaks of the message Jesus gave his apostles. In verse 36 Jesus says, 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. The Husbandman knows when the vine is ripe. He alone calls for the resurrection.
What will happen at this event? In truth, a Rapture shall occur. What, therefore, is a Rapture?
Many believe a rapture is a one thousand year reign in which all the saints shall reign over the earth and all souls not taken at the harvest of the earth shall have a period of time to overcome their evilness. Let us see the true definition from a dictionary: the term ‘Rapture’.
dictionary.com gives these three definitions associated with Holy Scripture:
the carrying of a person to another place or sphere of existence.
the Rapture, Theology. the experience, anticipated by some fundamentalist Christians, of meeting Christ midway in the air upon his return to earth.
Archaic. the act of carrying off.
These definitions strongly suggest an event which happens in a very brief moment and is therefore over. Does this coincide with the teachings of Apostle Paul to Corinth? Let us see.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54. 51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (i.e. ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail’)
In this passage, Apostle Paul is correct in stating the saints will be carried off to another sphere of existence; the saints shall meet the Lord in the air. This is an act of carrying off all with an earthly mortal body and changing it to an immortal body.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. 13 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The Rapture shall occur. It is the carrying off of the saints to meet the Lord in the air. It is a changing of the mortal body into an immortal body–spiritual body. The Rapture shall occur very quickly–’in the twinkling of an eye’. (1 Corinthians 15:52)
Therefore, the Rapture, as some have been gravely deceived, is not a one thousand year reign, it is a very brief moment which happens so quickly one must look twice to recognize it happened. Just how fast does one blink of the eye occur? It happens in fractions of a second; yes, a second, not minutes, hours, days or years. Will there be a Rapture? Yes! How long shall it last? In the twinkling of an eye. Mortals cannot exist in a Spiritual realm. God is a Spirit. When the righteous enter heaven, they, too, shall be in Spirit.
Is there any other scripture telling us when the resurrection shall occur? Turn back with me to Revelation 14:17-19. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
A second pass over the earth to harvest from the vine shall occur. It appears to happen either simultaneously with the harvest by Jesus in the white cloud or immediately following. This harvest is called once again by the husbandman–God. Notice the angels sent to declare this harvest coming from the Temple and the altar. He from the Temple is commanded directly from the throne as well as the one from the altar. Each differs in their assigned duty. The angel from the altar is to handle and control fire.
What is the fire required to do? Let us investigate. John 15:1-6. 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Here we see the spoils or undesirables are to be burned with fire. This angel is in charge of burning the undesirables. Vs. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. The husbandman takes away the non-bearing branches and purges the branches which bear. At the great harvest, the angel shall harvest the vine because it is “fully ripe” (vs. 18) and the angel shall separate–purge–the grapes from the vine. The angel over fire shall burn the undesirables.
These grapes, not fully acceptable as perfect or pure, are put into the winepress. What does a husbandman do with grapes with small blemishes? Are they cast out all together? Or, are they purged of the small blemishes and the good grapes salvaged for their goodness? Let us notice Revelation 14:20. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Let us look at two differing beliefs from this verse. One suggests it is a separation of the blemished fruit from the acceptable fruit. The undesirable are burned and the goodness saved. The suggestion is, because this act is done outside the city, it suggests a similarity to the undesirable portions of the earthly sacrifices which were required to be slaughtered outside the city and the undesirables burned–as to Old Testament teachings. The accepted portion of the sacrifice was taken inside the city to the priest who burned it on the altar of God as a burnt sacrifice or as a meat sacrifice to feed the priesthood. The other suggestion is to believe this passage is speaking of the separation of the sheep from the goats. They believe those who are pressed outside the city are all together and totally evil and must be destroyed in an eternal fire. They believe it is their blood shed for their iniquities and great were their sins; so great it flowed a long way.
If the desire is to keep all the goodness, then God’s grace will prevail here. It is his heaven and he along with Jesus shall judge whether someone shall enter or not and at what capacity they shall enter. Let us look a little farther at the teachings of Jesus for John to record.
Revelation 15:1-3a. 15 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, …
Before the fulfillment of the final wrath of God against evil mankind, John saw the saved who had been harvested from the earth and had obtained their victory over the beast. They were singing a song of victory. They were removed from the earth before the final dispensation of the final wrath of God which was performed against Satan and his evil mankind.
Does this mean the blood–pressed wine from the grapes–which were fully ripe–are those souls purged from their iniquities and given a place in heaven? Or, are these those who received their punishment before the great and final wrath of God? You decide!
In these scriptures, what have we learned? When will the Rapture–the gathering of righteous souls, those taken to another sphere of existence– take place? When the earth is ripe and the vine is fully ripe. Only the husbandman–God–knows when this will be. Jesus nor the angels in heaven know the time. No one on earth knows this time.
However, judgment of our soul occurs at our death. We do not know when we shall leave this earth and be placed in hell–the grave. Nor do we know if Jesus shall return while we remain alive. (study the rich man and Lazarus; Luke 16:19-31) How should we behave in this life? We need to live as if the Rapture of the saints shall occur at any time. Matthew 24:42. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Do not procrastinate nor think we can ask for forgiveness later. Now is the day of salvation. Live out your life as if this is your last day.
