“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. - 1
Corinthians 15:51-52a
In an article in Newsday titled, Shirley Tot
Found After Missing 2 Hours[1]
it says,
“Suffolk police launched a massive search
yesterday for a 5-year-old Shirley girl who had been missing for more than two
hours but was found safe at a neighbor’s house.
Authorities, including canine units and a police
helicopter, searched the area near North
Floyd Road 1:45 p.m. to about 4:15 p.m. , when the child was found
by a patrol officer, said Officer Robert Harris, Suffolk
What happened was the little girl was playing with
two of her friends,” Harris said. “They were being baby sat by a 15-year-old
girl. She [the 5 -year-old] was playing with two other children, and then the
girl just walks out of the house and decided to go out.”
When the girl went out of the house, she was
noticed by officers who had been searching the neighborhood for her. Police
believe she was at the friend’s house the whole time, and they declined to
release her name.
Police and the child’s family scoured the
neighborhood for the missing child. Jeff Amador, 34, who lives on North Floyd Road
He then noticed helicopters scanning the
neighborhood.
The child’s family declined to comment.”
All this effort and commotion for one 5-year-old
child, what would happen if an entire body of people went missing? What would
happen if in an instant, thousands, perhaps millions, were found to be missing?
What would happen if in conjunction with the
missing there were countless car wrecks, plane crashes, train wrecks, confusion
in the economy, government and in society as a whole because people were just,
well, MISSING? Think of the effect on
the world if all of a sudden, millions were simply, GONE!
If something like that happened you’d want to know
“why?” You’d probably want to apply as many resources as possible to finding
the answer to the missing persons. The
Bible speaks of an event in the future that will have a very similar effect
only on a (hopefully) much broader range. This event is called The Rapture.
The Rapture is an event that could happen at any
time where Jesus comes in the clouds for His church of the genuinely saved to
take them from the earth to be with Himself. That sounds pretty incredible
doesn’t it? Is this just cannon fodder for skeptics and atheists to mock
Christians? Interestingly the Bible states that that is exactly what will
happen in the latter days leading up to this Rapture event (2 Peter 3:1-9).
There are many miraculous supernatural God-events
in the Bible that those who don’t know God or who actively defy God mock and
disbelieve. A miracle is something God does that defies nature and natural law.
A miracle is God’s intervention in His creation. For instance the Bible says
God created the world by merely speaking it into existence (Gen. 1 and John 1).
There are incidents recorded in the Bible where God parted seas making a way
for His people to escape their pursuers, parted rivers to allow His people to
pass through on dry ground, and provided for His people with manna from heaven,
squadrons of quail and water from a rock. There are incidents of miraculous
healings in the Old Testament where the dead were raised back to life. In the
New Testament Jesus and His followers healed people of many assorted ailments.
Jesus walked on water, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and promised to
return. All of these incidents and events defy human logic. They were
God-incidents. So the bottom line is not merely did they actually happen but do
you believe they could happen. If you believe God is who He says He is, then
the miraculous is not only possible but logical. Jesus said He would return to
take up physically to Himself born again believers of His church. Preposterous?
Illogical? Maybe to an atheist; but not to a believer and follower of God in
Jesus Christ who knows nothing is impossible with God. If God is Who He says He
is, He can do whatever He purposes to do.
Let’s ask and answer some questions regarding the
Rapture. These questions are:
- What is the Rapture Physically?
- Why is a Rapture Necessary?
- What Scriptural evidence is there for the
Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
What is the Rapture
Physically?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 the phrase “caught up” is used. “Caught up” is the
translation of the Greek term harpadzo (ἁρπάζω harpazō, har-pad´-zo). The Latin Vulgate translation of the New Testament translates harpadzo as raptus, from which we get the English word rapture. While the term “rapture” does not occur in Scripture,
neither do the terms “trinity” or “millennium” and therefore this should not
discount its validity.
Harpadzo means “to snatch or catch away.” An example of the use of this word
which illustrates well is found in the book of Acts when the Spirit “caught
Philip away.”
·
Acts 8:39 - “Now when
they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so
that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”
This account in Acts is interesting because it speaks to the Spirit’s
ability to transport a human miraculously from one area to another area some
twenty miles away. As it relates to the rapture we might say, the Spirit raptured Philip away, but not all
the way!
When Paul was relating how he had been “caught up” to the third heaven
the same word harpazo is used:
·
2 Corinthians 12:2 -
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not
know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught
up to the third heaven.”
In this instance of being “caught up” it might be said, Paul was raptured away, but not allowed to
stay!
Another place where harpadzo
is used is in reference to the ascension of Jesus found in Revelation:
·
Revelation 12:5 - “She
bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child
was caught up to God and His throne.”
With regard to Jesus it can be said, He went away but He won’t stay, He’s coming back for His bride the
church!
The term harpadzo often
conveys the idea of being taken by force,
a sudden exercise of force. [2] The following
verses demonstrate this:
·
Matthew 11:12 - “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
·
Matthew 13:19 - “When anyone hears the word
of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches
away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the
wayside.”
·
John 6:15 - “Therefore
when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force
to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.”
·
John 10:12 - “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf
catches the sheep and scatters them.”
·
John 10:28-29 - “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither
shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.29 “My Father, who has given
them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out
of My Father’s hand.”
·
Acts 23:10 - “Now when there arose a
great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by
them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take
him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.”
·
Jude 22-23 - “And on
some have compassion, making a distinction;23 but others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire, hating
even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
A time is coming when the born again believer will be taken away by
Jesus. What will this be like?
Change “in the
twinkling of an eye”
In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 we find additional information
on how Christians will be raptured.
·
1 Corinthians 15:51 -53 - “Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and
the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.53 For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
In this verse we are told that when Jesus returns for His true
believers there will be an instantaneous transformation that will occur
instantaneously. The term translated “changed” is from the Greek allasso, which literally means “to make
other than it is, or “to transform,
change.” In other areas of the Bible the term allasso is used
regarding the effect of the gospel on traditions (Acts 6:14). Allasso
is also used in reference to the change or transformation that the material
creation will undergo at the consummation of the God’s prophetic plan (Hebrews 1:12 ). Allasso is used by the apostle Paul in stating his desire to be
present with the Galatians in person so that he could “change my tone” of
speech with them (Galatians 4:20 ).
Lastly, Paul uses the term allasso in Romans 1:23 in reference to
in a way that implies an “exchange” of
God’s glory for manmade images or idols.
[3]
In reference to the rapture, a change will take
place physically for those raptured which entails an exchange of bodies.
Evidently our material physical bodies are not suited for the environment or
dimension we will be transported to at the rapture. Therefore we will be given
a body suited to our knew address in the dimension of heaven.
Chuck Smith
states the following in regards to the “rapture”:
“The Rapture refers to that event where Jesus Christ snatches
His Church out of this world. It shall happen suddenly without any notice. The
Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are completely
different. At the Rapture, Jesus is coming for His saints.” [4]
Why is the Rapture
Necessary?
The Rapture is necessary to deliver the church
from a period in history referred to as The
Tribulation. This is a time of God’s righteous outpoured wrath on a
Christ-rejecting evil world. This Tribulation period is described in great
detail in the book of Revelation (Rev. 6-19). It is a time of God’s just
judgment on the earth.
The reason why the church needs to be removed from
the earth during this Tribulation period is that it would unjust for God to
punish the church that is righteous in Christ and forgiven her sins along with
the sinful world that is unrighteous. As we will see those who have received
Jesus as their Lord and Savior are saved
from the wrath to come. The Rapture is Jesus’ means to save His bride the
church from this outpoured wrath.
Meta Tauta and the
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is not some esoteric
undecipherable piece of literature. The name “Revelation” means unveiling. A little bit of spade work
and the revelation is unveiled for us. And it is in Revelation that we can
glean a great deal of contextual evidence about the Rapture.
The Book of Revelation has a built in outline. In
Revelation 1:19 it states:
- Revelation 1:19 - Write
the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things
which will take place after this.
This verse is an
outline of Revelation. “The things which you have seen,” refers to John’s
vision of the glorified risen Christ in Revelation chapter one. “The things
which are” refers to church history found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
Lastly, “the things which will take place after this” refers to events that
take place after the church age in the future.
We are presently
living in the church age. God’s dealings in and through Israel are on hold. God
is in part provoking Israel to jealousy with His relationship with the church
in Christ (cf. Rom. 11). But an examination of Revelation 2-3 provides letters from
Jesus to seven particular local churches as well as prophetic letters from
Jesus to the church in seven epochs of church history. What Jesus says to these
churches should be taken to heart by those in all segments of the church
throughout history as well.
But there is an
important phrase at the end of Revelation 1:19 that is important to our study
of the Rapture. That phrase is meta
tauta. Meta tauta means after these
things. In Revelatoin 1:19 the phrase is used to point to those things that
will take place after the church age
referred to with the words “the things which are.” Now what is interesting is
that after Revelation 2-3 and the
segment on the church age we see a transitional verse that has a double
occurrence of meta tauta. See if you
can identify it in Revelation 4:1:
- Revelation
4:1 - “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the
first voice which I heard was
like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show
you things which must take place after this.”
As we reach chapter four verse one we come to the
phrase “After these things” at the beginning of the verse and then, “. . .
after this” at the end of it. The logical question to ask is, after what things? The logical answer to
that question is, the things which
preceed i.e. the vision of the glorified Christ AND church
history. And this is important to see, what
follows doesn’t involve the church. What follows? The segment that details the
Tribulation!
What Scriptural
evidence is there for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
That the book of Revelation intentionally
separates the church from involvement in the section on the Tribulation. The
phrase meta tauta is a literary
device to mark this separation. But there is further evidence that the church
will not go through the Tribulation but instead will be saved rom the wrath to
come. Why should we be interested in escaping the Tribulation? Shouldn’t we be
willing, even eager to suffer what some believe is our just deserts? Not when
you consider salvation is by God’s grace and not based on penance or personal
suffering. And not when you consider what exactly the Tribulation period will
be like.
The Tribulation is an unprecedented time of
hardship, turmoil, and judgment from God on the earth (Mat. 24:21; Rev. 6-19).
All nature will be impacted. Plagues will proliferate. Wars will rage. Government will oppress. And
all hell will be unleashed on earth with Satan leading his hoards. This seven
year period in the future is not something you want to live in if you can avoid
it. And that is the blessed hope for the believer. We can escape the wrath to
come by the Rapture of Jesus Christ. What evidence is there that the rapture
will take place before this
Tribulation period? What evidence is there for a pre-Tribulation Rapture?
“Church” and
“Churches”
The terms “church”
(2:1,8,12,18; 3:1,7,14) and “churches” ( 1:4 [2x],11,20 [2x];
2:7,11,17,23,29; 3:6,13,22; 22:16) occur a combined total of 22 times in the book of Revelation. None of these occurrences are found in the
section of Revelation which describes the Tribulation (Rev. 6-19). Of the
22 occurrences of these two terms in the book of Revelation, 21 occur in the
first three chapters and one occurs in the last chapter of the book. Therefore,
when we leave the first and second sections of the book of Revelation which
refer to the church frequently and in detail, we find the “church” conspicuously absent from mention in the third section of
the book
Regarding the church, there is a distinctive and
noticeable change when we pass from the second to third sections of this book, the
church is gone! Why is this important? Since the church is not mentioned in chapters 6 thru 19, (the
section which gives a detailed account of the Tribulation; the time of God’s
outpoured wrath on a Christ-rejecting world) we can conclude that, THE CHURCH WILL NOT GO THROUGH THE
TRIBULATION.
Is that fair?
Now at this point some might be asking, “Why would
Christians be spared going through the Great Tribulation? Christians go through
trials. Why would the Great Tribulation be any different?” And indeed there are
some who believe the church will go through the Great Tribulation, i.e. Post-Tribulationists; or those who believe
the church will go through the
Tribulation along with everyone else.
It is true that Christians go through trials.
Jesus said Christians would go through trials:
·
John 16:33 - “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world.”
God allows
believers to experience trials because trials serve the purpose of maturing our
faith (cf. James 1:2-5; 1 Peter 1:6-9). In the
book of Job we see that Satan incited God to allow trials to come Job’s way by
saying that Job’s faith in God was based on God’s blessing him. In other words,
that Job’s faith was based on a cheap payoff (Job 1-2). But the trials that
came Job’s way and the steadfastness of his faith illustrated to generations
that followed the true nature of faith as well as the sustaining grace of God.
Trials should not be thought of as strange to the Christian. Throughout
the world and throughout history Christians have experienced severe trials
(e.g. 1 Peter 4:12-19). The important thing to understand is that while God allows trials and persecution, the real
culprit of difficulty in life is Satan (cf. 1 Peter 5:8-11). Christians do experience
trials. Any Christian can confirm this.
The Tribulation
The Tribulation is a future period of seven years
whereby God will pour out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world. The details of
this unprecedented time of judgment are described in Revelation 6-19. It is a
time where God will shake up a Christ-rejecting world, wake up Israel, and make
up the world like a house made makes the bed or even fumigates in readying it
for the next hotel patron.
Christians do experience trials, but the trials
experienced are distinctively different than that referred to in the
Tribulation. The reference to a time of “Tribulation” is based on the following
references:
·
Matthew 24:21 - “For then there will be great
tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this
time, no, nor ever shall be.”
·
Mark 13:19 - “For in those days there
will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation
which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.”
·
Revelation 7:14 - “And I said to him, “Sir, you
know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great
tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb.”
The period referred to as The
Tribulation is a distinctive time of trials because it is a day of the wrath of God. The following verses state this:
·
Revelation 6:17 - “For
the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
·
Revelation 11:18 -
“The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead,
that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the
prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And
should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
·
Revelation 16:1 -
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and
pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
It is extremely important for us to see the difference between trials
experienced by the Christian now and what will take place during the
Tribulation.
The source of trials
experienced by Christians is for the most part Satan. But the Source of
trials during the Tribulation is God
as He pours out His wrath on a Christ rejecting world.
The Christian does not Experience God’s Wrath
Nowhere in the Bible do Christians experience the
wrath of God. Indeed we see that God makes a distinction between the righteous
and the unrighteous. The earliest example of this is found in the book of
Genesis. Abraham is informed by the Lord that He intends to judge the city of Sodom
·
Genesis 18:23-33 -
“And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the
wicked?24 “Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also
destroy the place and not spare it
for the fifty righteous that were in it?25 “Far be it from You to do such a
thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous
should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do right?”26 So the Lord
said, “If I find in Sodom
When we come to the New Testament and see the full
revelation of the salvation of God we see that the good news of salvation is
that WE ARE SAVED FROM GOD’S WRATH! This is clearly stated in the following
verses:
·
Romans 5:8-9 - “But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
·
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
- “For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to
you, and 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, even Jesus
who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
·
1 Thessalonians 5:9 -
“For God did not appoint us to wrath,
but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Therefore, if the Tribulation is a time of God’s “wrath” and Christians
are saved from God’s wrath. Christians will not go through the Tribulation.
The Tribulation Pertains to Israel Not the Church
You might be thinking, “Why is there a period of
Tribulation at all?” One of the primary reasons for the Great Tribulation is to
wake up the nation of Israel. During the Tribulation God deals with Israel,
His adulterating wife (cf. Hosea) and draws her back to Himself as well as back
into the prophetic equation during the time of the Tribulation.
Israel is inextricably connected to the period
of Tribulation. In Jeremiah when the
prophet refers to the future Tribulation period he refers to it as “The time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). The Tribulation
prophetically is the seventieth week of Daniel’s 70 week prophecy. This
prophecy of Daniel does not pertain to the church, but to Israel (Dan.
9:24-27).
When Jesus described the Tribulation in His Olivet
Discourse He directly connected the events of that period with the prophecy of
Daniel:
·
Matthew 24:15 - “Therefore when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the
holy place” (whoever reads, let
him understand),”
·
Mark 13:14 - “So when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it
ought not” (let the reader
understand), “then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains.”
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans he
makes a clear distinction between the church and Israel
The Re-birth of Israel
It’s interesting that while the Rapture can occur at any time we do see the unprecedented
rebirth of Israel which took place on May 18th, 1948 as an important
prophetic event in regards to the Rapture. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians that
the rapture should not take them by surprise or that they should be shocked
when it occurs. He stated that generally, “times and season” or the world
environment leading up to the rapture would show that the time is ripe for such
an event (cf. 1 Thess. 5:1-2).
One of the most significant events in prophetic history is the rebirth
of Israel. The Bible points to this event as related to the return of the Lord:
·
Psalm 102:16 -“When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall
appear in his glory.”
·
Matthew 24:32-34
- “Now learn this parable from
the fig tree [ symbol of Israel] : When its branch has already become tender
and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is
near.33 “So you also, when you see
all these things, know that it [the 2nd coming of Jesus]is near—at
the doors!34 “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away
till all these things take place.”
So the state of Israel
Jesus instructed us to
pray that we would be worthy to escape the Tribulation
Further evidence that the church will not go
through the Tribulation is found in the
gospel of Luke during Jesus Olivet discourse. Toward the end of His description
of the Great Tribulation He exhorts His listeners with the following words:
·
Luke 21:36 - “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to
escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
Man.”
For Jesus
to instruct us to pray that we might escape the Tribulation would be cruel and
heartless if it were not possible. Jesus is anything but cruel and heartless.
In Jesus’
words to the church at Philadelphia He promises to spare Christians, (who are
indeed true born again of the Spirit believers) from the Tribulation:
·
Revelation 3:10 - “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you
from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who
dwell on the earth.’
If Jesus says it is possible to “escape” the
Tribulation, then it must be so.
Rapture – The Blessed
Hope of the Church
The Bible refers to the Rapture as the “blessed
hope” of the believer. It refers to the Second Coming as the "glorious
appearing of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ":
·
Titus 2:13 - “looking
for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ,”
What makes the rapture so blessed? THE FACT THAT THE BELIEVER WILL BE SPARED
GOING THROUGH THE TRIBULATION AND WILL BE RAPTURED TO CHRIST IS A BLESSED HOPE
TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
Is the Rapture and
Second Coming the Same?
The Bible also mentions a Second Coming of Jesus.
There are some who make no distinction between the Rapture and the 2nd
Coming of Jesus Christ. Those who do not make such a distinction usually come
to the conclusion that the church will go through the Tribulation. They make
this conclusion because it is clear that the 2nd Coming of Jesus
occurs at the end of the Tribulation. But when we look at scriptural references
describing the Rapture and the Second Coming we find that they are separate and
distinct. What are some of the differences that indicate the Rapture is
separate and distinct from the 2nd Coming?
1.) Timing
There is a distinctive difference between the
Rapture and the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. The Rapture removes believers before the Tribulation to
deliver them from the wrath to come. The 2nd Coming occurs after the Tribulation. That the 2nd Coming comes
after the Tribulation is shown in the following verses:
·
Matthew 24:29-31 - “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will
be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30 “Then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven
to the other.”
·
Mark 13:24-27 - “But in those days, after
that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light;25 “the stars of heaven will
fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.26 “Then they will see the Son
of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.27 “And then He will send His
angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest
part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
2.) Location and
Direction
When we look at the Biblical description of the
Rapture we see that at the Rapture Jesus comes for His Church in the clouds. The Rapture is a movement
from the earth to heaven. We see this
in the following scriptures:
·
John 14:1-3 - “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in
Me.2 “In My Father’s 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 to Myself; that where I am,
there you may be also.”
·
1 Thessalonians 4:17 - “ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
On the
other hand, passages describing the 2nd Coming of Jesus indicate the 2nd Coming Jesus comes with His Church to the earth. The 2ND Coming is a movement from heaven
to earth. We see this in the following passages:
·
Zechariah 14:1-7 -
“Behold, the day of the Lord is
coming, 1 And your spoil will be divided in your midst.2 For I will gather all
the nations to battle against Jerusalem Judah
·
Jude 14 - “Now Enoch,
the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the
Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,”
·
Revelation 19:11-16 -
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.12 His
eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name
written that no one knew except Himself.13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in
blood, and His name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies in heaven,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.15 Now
out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name
written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
3.) Imminence and
Visibility
When we look at passages referring to the Rapture
we see that nothing has to occur before
the Rapture occurs. The Rapture is imminent; it can happen at any time. Furthermore, the
Rapture is cloaked in mystery; it is likened to a thief in the night (1
Thess. 5:1-11).
Logically, if the Rapture and the 2nd Coming are the same
and occur after the Tribulation, then there are many signs that occur BEFORE the 2nd
Coming, e.g. The rise of antichrist. If these signs have to occur before the coming of Jesus His coming is
no longer imminent until the signs take place.
Also, when Jesus comes at the 2nd
Coming, He does not come like a thief in secret but for all the world to see! Jesus
described the events preceding His 2n Coming in the following passage:
·
Matthew 24:15-31
- “Therefore when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the
holy place” (whoever reads, let
him understand),16 “then let those who are in
Judea flee to the mountains.17 “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of
his house.18 “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.19 “But woe to those who are
pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!20 “And pray that your flight
may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been
since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 “And unless those days were
shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be
shortened.23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.24 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs
and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.25 “See, I have told you
beforehand.26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not
go out; or ‘Look, He is
in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.27 “For as the lightning
comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son
of Man be.28 “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered
together. 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.30 “Then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.31 “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven
to the other.”
Objections to the
Rapture
Those who hold a Mid or Post Tribulation Rapture
view say, “Wait a minute, God doesn’t always spare His people from His wrath
but on occasion brings them THROUGH it.
They point to the Biblical accounts of Noah in Genesis 6 and that of Meshach,
Shadrach and Abednego in Daniel 3 as evidences.
In Genesis
6 and 7 we do see that God instructed Noah to build an ark and that He covered
the earth with a flood in judgment of the world. However, Noah here is not a type of the church. Noah is a type of Israel who will go through the
Tribulation.
Furthermore, if we look earlier in Genesis to
chapter 5 we see the first incident in the Bible of a person who was “raptured”
or removed from this world by God.
·
Genesis 5:24 - “And
Enoch walked with God; and he was
not, for God took him.”
It is more likely, (not to mention more in sync with the testimony of
the rest of God’s revealed prophetic Pre-Rapture plan) that God here in Genesis
is laying the preparatory groundwork in typological form of the church being
removed from Tribulation in the type of Enoch and Israel going through the
Tribulation in the type of Noah.
In the case of the three Israelites in Daniel, we have the story of
three Jews in exile in Babylon
Interestingly, the three Israelites meet a Christ figure in the fiery
furnace and in the book of Revelation we see that in the midst of the
Tribulation there will be a great conversion of
Jews who will recognize that Jesus is their Messiah (Revelation 7).
But the context of Daniel 3 has an element that is typical of the
rapture too. Just as the church is conspicuous by its absence in Revelation
6-19, Daniel (the central figure of the book of Daniel) is conspicuous by his
absence in Daniel 3 where this incident is recorded.
Therefore, in light of the above explanations of the two frequently
cited Old Testament types purported to support a Mid or Post Tribulation
Rapture view, it is seen that in fact these types support a Pre Tribulation
Rapture view instead.
Who will be Raptured?
A final question remains to be asked. We’ve been
saying that “the church” will be raptured. By saying “the church” will be
raptured we don’t mean a building or a denomination or certain segment of
people who claim to be “the one true church.” What people call themselves is
not as important as who they actually are. Jesus said there were those who have
a false belief in who they are:
·
Matthew 7:21 - “Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven.”
Jesus said
the prime qualification for entering His Kingdom was the second birth;
spiritual birth; "you must be born again"
(John 3). Without the Holy Spirit indwelling a person, there is no spiritual
life (Romans 8:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Authentic Christians bear the seal
of the Holy Spirit on them; the stamp of belonging to God (2 Corinthians 1:22;
Ephesians 1:13). Without such spiritual life a person can do all kinds of
churchy things but they still aren't known by Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who
bears witness within us that we are children of God (e.g. Romans 8:14; 1 John
3:24). Those who have not been born again will be left behind at the Rapture.
In His
letter to the church at Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) an apostate “Jezebel” was
allowed to function within the confines of the church. This corrupt church is
seen as descriptive of the church from the years 500 AD to the present. Jesus
has choice words for those who teach things contrary to His word such as the
Jezebels as well as those who follow after false teaching:
·
Revelation 2:21 -22 - “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did
not repent.22 “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit
adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their
deeds.” (Emphasis added.) [5]
It's
possible Jesus was alluding to some local trouble He would allow on the church
of Thayatira due to her spiritual negligence. It is also possible, when we
apply the words of Jesus prophetically and historically (and I believe more
pertinent to our study) that He is speaking of throwing the Thyatiren type of
church and church goers into the Seventieth Week of Daniel seven year
Tribulation of the Latter Days. It's possible such wayward church people will
be left behind at the rapture.
Jesus
assessed the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) to be alive on the outside but
dead within. This church represents not only an actual local church, but the
church of the Reformation ranging from the 1500s AD to the present. This became
a Spirit-less church; a church populated by those who had not been born again
or who had gotten away from living in the Spirit. Without the Spirit's
regeneration the people of this church live a "defiled" life with
little concern for holiness or Spirit filled living. Today many mainline
denominations have compromised with immorality and degenerated from a
dependence on scripture and the gospel of salvation by grace alone through
faith alone in Jesus to one where relying on those beliefs in the Spirit is
quite foreign. The Book of Acts is the true model of what a church should be
like. In Sardis the church had grown proud and presumptuous. This church had
become more of a social service shop than one led and empowered by the Holy
Spirit. Therefore to this church Jesus said:
·
Revelation
3:3 - Remember therefore how you have
received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I
will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come
upon you.
Elsewhere
Jesus is described as coming in the Rapture "as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). While Jesus
does not specifically say He will leave the Sardis church people behind, it
would not be hard to draw that conclusion from what He has said.
To the
church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) Jesus wrote:
·
Revelation
3:10 - Because you have kept My
command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which
shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
To this
church Jesus gives no correction. They aren't the strongest church, but they
are faithful and have kept Jesus word and not denied His name. Their
perseverance and purity result in Jesus promise to "I also will keep you
from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world." This speaks
of rescue. And it speaks of rescue from more than a local tribulation. It
speaks of a trial that "shall come upon the whole world." That is the
Tribulation of seven years described in Revelation 6-19. By mentioning this to
the church people of Philadelphia Jesus is setting them up as a contrast to
those who He said would be left behind. Not everyone in the church will be
rescued by His rapture. Some in the church will be left behind.
The words
of Jesus to the church in Thyatira and Sardis are examples of prophetically
relevant material where certain people in His church's are warned that they are
in danger of being left behind at the Rapture and therefore going through the
Tribulation. Based on His letters the church people who allow immoral Jezebels
to coexist within the walls of the church and the church that is Spirit-less
with defiled spiritually will not be rescued in the Rapture. Such
"church" people will go through the Tribulation likely as a means to
purify them into spiritual shape (e.g. 1 Peter 1:6-9).
Those in
the church who in reality refuse to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior may respond
during the Tribulation. The Scripture seeds planted in them by faithful
witnesses who have since departed in the Rapture may bear fruit unto salvation.
But you don’t want to procrastinate! Those saved during the Tribulation will
most likely be martyred for their faith! If you are procrastinating and think, I’ll just go through the Tribulation. I’m
having too much fun now. The problem with such thinking is – If you can’t live for Jesus now, what makes
you think you will be able to die for Him later?
So who will
be raptured? The Thessalonians were people that were in a position to be
raptured. What were these people like? An overview of this letter reveals:
- They
worked by faith, labored in love and waited patiently hoping in the
Lord - 1:3
- They
served the Lord where He elected them to serve – 1:4
- They
were born again of the Spirit – 1:5-6
- They
bore fruit of the Spirit 1:7-10
- They
were looking for Jesus return – 1:10; 5:1-5
- They
had high regard for God’s word and lived it out in life – 2:13-14
- They
were standing fast in the Lord – 3:6-8, 11-13
So What?
Maybe you’ve tuned out of this study long ago and
don’t feel the Rapture is such a big deal. Maybe you don’t think the distinction
between the Rapture and the 2nd Coming is that important. Jesus
thought the distinction between the Rapture and the 2nd Coming was
important. Why is it important for us to understand about the Rapture and the 2nd
Coming? There are five reason why you should care about the Rapture.
First, the pre-Tribulation Rapture view is important because
it coincides with the nature of God. God’s nature is holy love. His
does not want or desire anyone to go
through the Great Tribulation or even go to hell, quite to the contrary the
Bible tells us He wishes none to perish:
·
2 Peter 3:9 - “The
Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
That God’s loving nature has made a way for the saved to avoid the
outpouring of God’s wrath on a Christ rejecting sinful world is evidenced by
Paul when he writes:
·
Romans 5:8-9 - “But
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
God’s desire for us is to protect us and spare us from the Great
Tribulation. He provides a way of escape, will we take it?
Second, the
pre-Tribulation Rapture view is important because it is a source of comfort. The Bible tells us that the Rapture of the church something that should
give us comfort. As we proceed through the hard times of life we can be
comforted by the fact that soon and very soon Jesus is coming for us to take us
to Himself. We saw this stated in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians (4:16-18).
Life as we see it now is not going to go on indefinitely. In a moment, (in the near future I believe)
everything as we know it is going to be changed. The change will introduce a
period of final last days events that will forever change the world and the
people in it as far as their eternal destiny is concerned. God is for us
(Romans 8:31 ). Will we be
for Him?
Third, the
pre-Tribulation view is important because it is possible to be left behind. Jesus said:
·
Matthew 24:36-41 - “But of that day and hour no
one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.37 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son
of Man be.38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,39 “and did not know until the
flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man
be.40 “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken
and the other left.41 “Two women will be
grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”
The above
passage deals with the reality of the Rapture. Some will be “taken,” some will
not. The term “taken” is a translation of the Greek term paralambaino literally means “to
take to oneself, receive.” Examples of the use of this word are:
- Matthew
1:20 - Joseph was instructed by the Holy Spirit to not be afraid to “take”
Mary as his wife.
- Matthew
17:1 - Jesus “took” Peter, James and John with Him to the Mount of
Transfiguration.
- John
14:3 - Jesus said, “I will come again and RECEIVE you to Myself.” This
verse is a reference to the Rapture.
This is
REAL! The Rapture is a real event that will take place. What would happen if
you woke up one morning and the spot next to you in bed where your spouse
usually slept was vacant? What if when you searched them out you discovered the
Rapture is true! And you were left
behind? Think of the regret you would feel to realize it didn’t have to happen
that way.
Fourth, the pre-Tribulation rapture
view is important because only Spirit filled born again true believers will be
taken. Jesus gave the following parable:
- Matthew
25:1-13 - “Then the kingdom of heaven
shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet
the bridegroom.2 “Now
five of them were wise, and five were
foolish.3 “Those
who were foolish took their
lamps and took no oil with them,4 “but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.5
“But while the bridegroom was delayed, they
all slumbered and slept.6 “And
at midnight a cry was heard:
‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’7
“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed
their lamps.8 “And
the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some
of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’9 “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go
rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’10
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom
came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the
door was shut.11 “Afterward
the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’12
“But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say
to you, I do not know you.’13 “Watch
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of
Man is coming.”
Jesus is able to separate the true from the false Christians.
Here are ten “virgins,” five wise, five foolish. What distinguished the
wise from the foolish? The oil.
Oil is a symbol or type of the
Holy Spirit. Evidence for this is based on Zechariah 4 where
oil is used to represent the presence of the Holy Spirit in God’s anointed workers. What determined the readiness of the virgins? It was whether or
not the Spirit was in them. You must repent of your sins (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 1 John 1:9), receive
Jesus as Savior and Lord (John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:8-13), and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John
20:31; Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:1,6).
Not everyone in church is a Christian; a “born again” of the Spirit
Christian. Jesus describes this situation in Matthew:
·
Matthew 13:24-30 -
“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is
like a man who sowed good seed in his field;25 “but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat
and went his way.26 “But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares
also appeared.27 “So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you
not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’28 “He said to them, ‘An enemy
has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather
them up?’29 “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also
uproot the wheat with them.30 ‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of
harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind
them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
That wheat and tares will grow together indicates that not all that
seems good is good. Tares look like wheat but upon closer inspection they are
worthless imitations. This will be the case in the church leading up to His
coming at the rapture.
Fifth, the
pre-Tribulation Rapture view is important because it affects the way we live. Jesus said:
·
Matthew 24:42-51
- “Watch therefore, for you do
not know what hour your Lord is coming.43 “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour
the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be
broken into.44 “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an
hour you do not expect. 45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler
over his household, to give them food in due season?46 “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.47 “Assuredly, I say to you that
he will make him ruler over all his goods.48 “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying
his coming,’49 “and begins to beat his
fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,50 “the master of that servant
will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,51 “and will cut him in two and
appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus likens those who watch and wait expectantly
for His return as a “faithful and wise servant.” The faithful servant will be
delegated authority in Jesus’ millennial reign
and will be used by Jesus to feed to minister to those they are put in
charge of. He describes those who say, “My master is delaying his coming,” as
an “evil servant.” The evil servant will
receive a quite different reward. Which group would you rather be in? I’d
rather be a “good” than “evil” servant in the view of Jesus, wouldn’t you?!
The term “evil” is a translation of the Greek kakos. Kakos
occurs approximately 50 times in the New Testament and refers to “whatever is evil in character, or base.” Kakos is the opposite of the
Greek term kalos which means, “fair,
advisable, good in character,” and also opposite to agathos
which means, “beneficial, useful, good in act.” Therefore kakos is a word that
refers to that which is useless,
incapable, and bad. Kakos can be used in regards to a persons qualities,
emotions, passions, and deeds that are evil, injurious, destructive, pernicious. ( See evil persons - Matthew
21:41; 24:48; Philippians 3:2; Revelation 2:2; See evil attitudes - Mark 7:21; John 18:23, 30; Romans 1:30; 3:8;
7:19, 21; 13:4; 14:20; 16:19; 1 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Corinthians. 13:7; 1
Thessalonians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Timothy 4:14; 1 Peter 3:9). [6]
Jon Courson, pastor of Applegate Christian
Fellowship in Oregon
“Kakos means that which was once good, but has become
rotten. The idea is used of an apple . .
. that was once good, crisp and juicy, but now is rotten. Or it’s the idea of a
musical instrument that was once in tune but is now gone out of tune.”
Why does Jesus say that the person who sees His
coming as being “delayed” is “evil”?
Because if certain things need to take place BEFORE Jesus can return,
then the incentive to live a life prepared for His coming is removed for a time
and it is likely that such a person will lapse into lovelessness - “and begins
to beat his fellow servants”; as well as carnality or catering to
fleshly sinful desires - “to eat and
drink with drunkards.” Those who have a view that holds that Jesus coming
is delayed are in danger of falling into two evil self-centered
temptations:
1.) BRUTALITY -
Such a person will tend to treat people
harshly because the master is away and they have no fear of correction. Such a
person will be inclined to put their desires and wants over and above the needs
of others.
2.) CARNALITY -
Such a person will tend to live a loose spiritual existence. The attitude will
be one of indulgence and focusing on the temporal rather than the eternal. A
lack of urgency results in letting our spiritual guard down.
·
Matthew 24:50-51 - “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is
not looking for him and at an hour
that he is not aware of,51 “and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.”
As we further study this section in Matthew 24 we
see that when the master of the evil servant does return that the master will
“cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth” (24:51).
What does that mean? I don’t believe this means this “evil” servant is
necessarily sent to hell. Rather, I believe this refers to the Judgment Seat of
Christ before which all believers will pass (cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
At this judgment those carnal
works a person spent their lives on will be chopped
off . There will be a dividing and
separating that takes place there. As Jesus looks at us with eyes like a flame
of fire (Revelation 1:14) all that we did in life that was outside of the Spirit whether before or after
salvation, will be burned off. Some of us will discover that much of our lives
were lived for the temporal rather than the eternal at that point. Much of what is removed, we’ll be glad to see
removed. But there may also be regret, disappointment and shame to see how
little of lasting value is left to be presented to the Lord. Many will look and
see what’s left after the judgment and say, “This is all that’s left?” That day will be sobering and in some cases
sad, so much so that it could be described as a time of “weeping and gnashing
of teeth.”
We will all be happy and full in heaven. But the capacity and fullness
of that happiness will vary. When I was a young boy my family lived in upstate
New York with my grandmother for a few years. My grandmother had a large
portion of property and in one section she had my favorite spot, THE DIRT PILE!
I had trucks and army men and I’d play in the dirt for hours on end. That was a
great time for me. I made roads and forts and caves and just had a great time
playing, getting dirty without a care in the world. But I’ve grown up now and
playing in the dirt is not on the top of my list of things to do. Instead of
playing with toy cars I drive real ones. I don’t play with men now, I interact
with them and teach them the word of God. In life there are those who never
grow up, who never stop seeing life as “playing in the dirt” so to speak. These people will be full and happy in heaven
and totally satisfied with their level of reward or capacity. But there will be a subtle sadness to see a
grown person playing in the dirt, settling for dirt, as their end of happiness
when God had offered them so much more? It’s sad to see a person fail to mature
and grow up to God’s fullest capacity.
WE WILL ALL BE “FULL”
IN HEAVEN, BUT SOME WILL BE FULL
COMMUNION CUPS WHILE OTHERS WILL
BE FULL WINE BARRELS.
Therefore, by Jesus using the term kakŏs to describe the person who
says, “my master is delaying his coming,” He implies that such an attitude
leads to spiritual rotting, unfruitfulness, uselessness, a hindering of capability,
capacity, destructiveness and evil.
If certain events need to take place before Jesus can return, then we can
bide our time, sit back and only have to kick into watchful overdrive when
certain events occur, e.g. antichrist comes on the scene. This lack of
spiritual alertness is what leads to the “evil” in a person’s life.
But if Jesus could return for us at any time, then we wouldn’t want to be
embarrassed when He returns would we? I don’t know about you, but I want to be
found by Him active in loving devotion to Him when He returns. That attitude
spurred on by the expectation of Jesus’ return at any time has a purifying
effect on us according to the apostle John who wrote:
·
1 John 3:1-3 - “
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be
called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did
not know Him.2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like
Him, for we shall see Him as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
[7]
THE EXPECTATION OF JESUS’ IMMINENT RETURN TO RAPTURE TRUE
BELIEVERS HAS A PURIFYING EFFECT ON THE CHURCH.
So let’s review:
1.) The terms “church” or “churches” which occur
22 times in the book of Revelation are found only once after chapter three and
not at all in chapter 6 thru 19 which describes the Great Tribulation. The
church is MISSING during this description of the Great Tribulation.
2.) The trials we face now find their source in
Satan. The trials and tribulations that occur in the Great Tribulation are the
result of God pouring out His wrath on a
Christ rejecting world.
3.) Christians are saved from the wrath of God.
4.) Therefore, Christians will not go through the
Great Tribulation.
5.) Jesus instructed us to pray that we might be
found worthy to escape the Great
Tribulation. he would not instruct us to pray for something that was not
possible.
6.) The means by which God will remove the church
from the Great Tribulation is the Rapture.
7.) The Rapture is the imminent, instantaneous
catching up of true believers to meet Christ in the clouds.
8.) The Rapture is the blessed hope of the church
since it will save us from the wrath of God on earth.
9.) The Rapture and the 2nd Coming of
Christ are separate and distinct. They occur at different times, have a
different direction, and a different presentation (imminent v. following signs;
invisible v. visible.)
10.) A PRE TRIBULATION RAPTURE VIEW CONINCIDES
WITH GOD’S NATURE OF HOLY LOVE.
11.) The Pre Tribulation Rapture is the only view
that is comforting.
12.) If you don’t care about the Rapture, you may
be left behind.
13.) Only
Spirit filled true believing Christians, those who are born again (John 3)
will be raptured. 1 Thessalonians gives us a picture of the type of people who
will be raptured.
14.) Understanding the Rapture is important
because it affects the way we live.
15.) Understanding the Rapture is important
because Jesus said we should be aware and
watchful for it.
So get ready, look up, Jesus is coming back! This
is a case where you want to be among the MISSING!
[2]W.E.
Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s
complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file],
electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997,
c1996.
[3]W.E.
Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s
complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file],
electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997,
c1996.
[4] Chuck
Smith - The Rapture, published
in "The Answer for Today," issue 7,
published by The Word For Today, Costa Mesa , CA
[5]The Holy Bible, New King James Version,
(Nashville , Tennessee
[6]W.E.
Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s
complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words [computer file],
electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997,
c1996.
[7]The Holy Bible, New King James Version,
(Nashville , Tennessee
