RAPTURE

IS KNOWLEDGE OF THE RAPTURE IMPORTANT? IF SO, WHY?

Reasons for having an understanding of the rapture of the Church:

1. When the Apostle Paul met with the elders of the church at Ephesus for the last time he told them, “For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” Another way of saying “it’s the will of God” is, “it’s His desire for us.” The NLT has it, “for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.”

Paul, writing to Timothy says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” The key word in this Scripture is the word “all.”

You remember when in high school/college you were required to write a paper? You did all kind of research, if you really wanted a good grade, and typed for what seemed like hours, but you still hadn’t reached your teacher’s/professor’s required page account. You started to get a little creative, didn’t you? As one person said, “You played Microsoft Word gymnastics with different fonts and spacing or getting super fluffy with your descriptions.” God did not use filler to complete His Word. He said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5:17-18, NLT) If God felt it important enough to put in the Bible – then it’s important to know it.

2. One – third of the Bible deals with prophecy. The only way we have knowledge of the rapture of the Church is through prophecy. If we avoid prophecy because it’s hard to understand, [it may be, but do we want to use that excuse with God?], then we are ignoring 1/3 of the Bible.

Prophecy is very important to God because this is how He proves He is God. “Present your case,” says the Lord. “Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King. “Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear. But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly worthless; whoever chooses you is detestable.” (Isaiah 41:21-24, NIV)

“I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.” Believe what? Believe that He is God and that the Word of God is truly inspired.

This from davidjeremiah.blog: “Out of the 216 chapters in the entire New Testament, did you know there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ? That means if you were to omit passages about prophecy, you would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. You would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books, which mention prophecy. For every prophecy about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. In light of phophecy’s prominence, can we really say, “Well, prophecy is just not relevant?”

“Jesus not only spoke many times about the future, He also rebuked people who didn’t seem to recognize the significance of the events taking place around them. He scolded those who could read the sky for weather but were unable to read the signs of the times. In Luke 12:56, Jesus said, “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” It was no small thing to Jesus that the people of His generation remained ignorant to God’s prophetic Word. Jesus wants us to investigate what the Bible has to say about the future and ask God to help us determine the day and hour in which we live.”

3. Hosea 4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” 2 Thessalonians 2:9, “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing…” Are you finding it more difficult to believe almost anything you see or here today coming from our news media, government leaders, educational institutions, or especially social media? Jesus said in John 16:1, “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.” As David Jeremiah says, “In other words, if you know what Jesus says about the future, you won’t fall into the trap of panic and distress.”

4. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3, NIV) Prophecy is a twofold blessing for those who hear it and those who take it to heart. If God has a blessing for me, I want it.

5. In Ephesians 5:21-33 the Apostle Paul gives instructions to husbands and wives in regard to their responsibilities to one another. In v. 32 he says, “This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Christ is the bridegroom, and we (all true born-again believers) are His bride. At the last supper Jesus told His disciples, “My Father’s house has many rooms, if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” The disciples would’ve immediately recognized these words as those used by a man to his future bride.

Do you remember when you became engaged? If you were like me, you could hardly wait for the day to arrive. You got excited just thinking about it. Have you ever been in a room full of people and there was someone who was very excited? Didn’t they stand out from all the rest. They couldn’t hide it.

Guess who is the most excited person in heaven? None other than Jesus himself. He knows that at any moment the Father could tell Him that it is time to go get His bride.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139. It’s hard for me to comprehend how much God loves me when I read verses 17-18: “Every single moment you are thinking about me! How precious and wonderful to consider that you cherish me constantly in your every thought! O God, your desires toward me are more than the grains of sand on every shore! When I awake each morning, you’re still with me.” (TPT)

My wife, whom I love very much, sometimes has questions of whether I’m still happy I married her because I am constantly saying how much I long for Christ to come back. I am betrothed to Him and He is my beloved! I love Him more than anything or anyone in the world!!!

If a person were to save us, at great cost to himself, from a life of extreme suffering and pain, and the only opportunity afforded us was to call or write them and tell them how much we appreciated what they did, wouldn’t we long for and look forward to the day when we would be able to thank them face to face? Do you think we would love him with all our heart?

You know where I’m going, don’t you? That’s what Christ did for us! “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, NIV) How disappointed do you think it would make him feel, if he knew, that I knew that I would get to see him soon, and he heard that I was pretty blasé about seeing him? That’s why it’s so important that we know the signs of the times, that we are truly on the cusp of His return. It builds our excitement in anticipation of what’s going to happen. As I see the world falling apart all around me, I become more excited because it tells me He could come for us at any moment.

6. Wouldn’t we also want them to be pleased with who we became as a result of their great sacrifice? "Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:7-8, KJV). "And have nothing to do with sexual immorality, lust, or greed—for you are his holy ones and let no one be able to accuse you of them in any form. Guard your speech. Forsake obscenities and worthless insults; these are nonsensical words that bring disgrace and are unnecessary. Instead, let worship fill your heart and spill out in your words. For it has been made clear to you already that the kingdom of God cannot be accessed by anyone who is guilty of sexual sin, or who is impure or greedy—for greed is the essence of idolatry. How could they expect to have an inheritance in Christ’s kingdom while doing those things? For he died for us, sacrificing himself to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw" (Ephesians 5:3-5, 26-27, TPT).

That is why the Apostle John wrote this: “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:3, NIV) Because He may return at any moment, we find strength to resist “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16, NIV)

7. Paul, writing to Timothy, said that the Lord is coming for those who are longing for His return: “There’s a crown of righteousness waiting in heaven for me, and I know that my Lord will reward me on his righteous day of judgment. And this crown is not waiting only for me, but for all who love and long for his unveiling (2 Timothy 4:8, TPT).

The writer of Hebrews says, “He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28, NLT).

If I understand Scripture correctly, we can actually speed up the day of His return. “Since all these things are on the verge of being dismantled, don’t you see how vital it is to live a holy life? We must be consumed with godliness while we anticipate and help to speed up the coming of the day of God… (2 Peter 3:11-12, TPT).

How do we do this? Paul, writing to the Romans says, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in…(Romans 11:25, NIV) The more souls we lead to Christ, the quicker His return.

WITNESSES FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE

The reason I’ve used the word ‘witnesses’ is in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

Peter says that God, “…did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5). This is the first example of God sparing the righteous in the OT.

I see a parallel in the NT in Matthew 24:37-39 when Jesus said, “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away: so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” He removed Noah and his family and then He poured out His judgement. He will remove His Church and then He will pour out His wrath.

In Luke 17:28-30, Jesus says, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” In both of these examples the righteous were removed before the Lord’s wrath was poured out.

Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names such as the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2); trouble or tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15); time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7). (gotquestions.org)

I personally agree with those who believe that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Church is raptured. Paul talked about the rapture of the Church in 1 Thessalonians 4 and then in his second epistle he addressed concerns that were raised because of some at that time were saying that the day of the Lord had already come. “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. Before that day comes the rebellion must occur and the ‘outlaw – the destructive son – will be revealed in his true light…” For the mystery of lawlessness is already active, but the one who prevails [or restrains] will do so until he is separated from out of the midst” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,7).

The one who restrains is the Holy Spirit through the Church. Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount that we are the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative, and so the Father has chosen the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to ‘prevent’ (restrain) evil from overwhelming mankind.

Finally, this from Isaiah 26:19-21: “But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise – let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy – your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.”

If you remember the previous passage above, in regards to the last supper the Lord had with His disciples, these are the rooms that the Lord has gone away to prepare for His bride.

Daniel, in Daniel 9, talks of the tribulation that will last for 7 years. He speaks of the one to come (Antichrist) who at the start of the 7 years makes a covenant with the Jews and in the middle (3 ½ years) he will break that covenant. This 7 year period is known as the Tribulation. In the middle of the tribulation the beast and the Antichrist will be revealed. In Matthew 24:15 Jesus refers to this as the start of the Great Tribulation, as the revealing of the ‘abomination of desolation.’

If the Antichrist makes a covenant with the Jews at the start of the 7 years, and if my understanding is correct concerning 2 Thessalonians 2:3, then the Church has to have already been removed from the world.

“But God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). It has been said that Richard Niebuhr famously described Protestant Liberalism’s gospel as: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgement through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.”

I would simplify the concept of the wrath (judgement) of God by saying there are two types of the wrath of God. There is the wrath (judgement) that leads to repentance as seen in1Corinthians 11:32: “But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

Then there is the wrath (judgement) of God against unrepentant man: “But because of your callous stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are [deliberately] storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). The tribulation is God’s wrath upon unrepentant mankind. It is not for the purpose of rehabilitation but retribution.

One of the arguments against the pre-trib rapture is that the Bible says that we will go through many trials and tribulations. I don’t disagree with that at all. “In a recent article, Justin D. Long emphasized the startling fact that more people have died for their faith in the Twentieth Century than in all of the previous centuries combined. ‘During this century, we have documented cases in excess of 26 million martyrs. From AD 33 to 1900, we have documented 14 million martyrs.’” (Christianity.com) But this is the wrath of men and Satan, not God.

The wrath of men and Satan does not even compare to the wrath of God. “Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?... It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:28-29,31).

Finally, if we (the Church), are the bride of Christ, how can we possibly think that Christ would make His bride endure His wrath by making us wait until the middle or the end of the Great Tribulation before returning for us. If that’s the case then how can the Apostle Paul, speaking of our blessed hope, the return of Christ, tell the Thessalonians “To comfort one another with these words?” I take no comfort in the belief that we will go through the tribulation, the wrath of God against unrepentant man. Jesus endured the wrath of God for us in order that we might escape the wrath of God.

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