The Rapture

If a person’s name is in it, in most cases it is a very special honor for often it indicated exceptional skill or strength. For example...

Illus: Some time ago some folks set out to break the record in standing the most dominos up in such a way that when a key domino was tripped all the rest would fall. On television, several years ago, they broadcast a program showing this being done. They showed a large room with what looked like millions of dominos set up on end. In order for this group to break the record, every domino had to fall. The time came to trip the first domino. It touched the next, it fell onto the next and so on. Viewers were amazed as they watched this chain of events transpire. At the end, every domino had fallen and they had set a new record so their names were placed in the “Guinness World Book of Records,” for toppling the most dominos over at that time.

I have mentioned this to lead you to another “chain of events.” That chain of action by those dominos is nothing in comparison to what will happen at the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.

When Jesus returns it will set off a chain of events like this world has never seen.

Illus: Speaking of a “chain of events” brings the story to mind of the fellow who was driving through a town one day when he saw a billboard advertising that the circus would be coming to that town and the star attraction would be 50 giant elephants. As the man drove into town he was detained by that circus as they were parading down main street. He looked down the street and saw the parade of 50 elephants was at the end of the circus parade through town. Each elephant marched with his long trunk holding securely the tail of the elephant in front of him. Since the man was detained, he decided he would pass the time by counting the elephants as they passed by. Finally he could see the end was near as he counted, “...47, 48, 49, 50.” He decided, as the last elephant was passing, that would be the best time to get across the street. He made a dash across the highway and when he did he ran smack into the last elephant and killed him. He had miscalculated the distance. He was arrested, and was fined two-hundred-thousand dollars! In court, he said, “I do not understand why the circus owner is so upset. Your honor, I only killed one lousy elephant. He wants me to pay two-hundred-thousand dollars.”

The judge concurred with the man that the price did seem kind of high. The circus owner jumped up and said, “I know he only killed one elephant, but what am I going to do with forty-nine elephants with their tails snatched off?”

Seriously, when the Lord returns for His church, it will affect every person here! Everything is tied to the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH and when it happens we are going to see a series of events take place as we have never seen before.

Let us look at TWO things we need to consider about the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. Such as...

I. IT WILL BE INSTANT.

Look at 1 Cor. 15:52. We read, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye...”

One thing that is hard for us to comprehend about the rapture is how fast it will take place.

Notice, the scripture does not say it will happen in the

-Wink of an eye.

-Blink of an eye.

It says in the “twinkling” of an eye. Beloved, that is fast!

When you talk to a person, look at their eyes (without their knowing it), and you will glimpse how fast a twinkle is. That is exactly how fast the rapture will take place.

Illus: When we think of speed we think of the man who holds the record for being the fastest in history to draw a pistol, as far as we know. This man was not only fast, he was also very accurate. He was shown on television. Two balloons were dropped in front of him 8 to 10 feet apart. He drew so fast and shot them so fast you could only hear one balloon pop. In fact, he was so fast that when they showed it in slow motion it was still faster than some of us could have done it.

Many have the mistaken idea that the rapture will be a slow, drawn-out affair. Not so!

Illus: There are several reasons many think this, such as:

• GOSPEL ARTISTS have drawn pictures of their idea of the rapture. Some have shown Christians passing by Jupiter, Mars, Venus, etc., while the curious people on earth are looking up. You get the impression that it will take some time for the Christians to reach heaven.