Rapture

The rapture

Introduction

Prophetic Inspiration

1.      Prophetic Inspiration used to be extended to the order of future events, and not to the times.

2.      There is in the Scriptures no statement of the time when the world would close.

3.      Future events were made to pass before the minds of the prophets, as in a landscape.

4.      The order of the images may be distinctly marked, but the times may not be designated.

5.      And even events which may occur in fact at distant periods may in vision appear to be near each other.

6.      The Saviour expressly said that it was not designed that they should know when future events would occur.

Acts 1: 6 & 7

6   When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7   And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

7.      The Saviour said, that even he himself, as man, was ignorant in regard to the exact time in which future events would occur.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Doctrine of Inspiration

1.      Here is no departure from the proper doctrine of inspiration.

2.      The proper order of events they state truly and exactly

3.      The exact time God did not, for wise reasons, intend to make known.

 
 

The Rapture

Paul wrote Titus that:

Titus 2: 11 - 15

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Rapture is:

1.   The blessed hope of all believers

2.   It is the glorious appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ

3.   It is the snatching away of all New Testament believers by Him.

      Thousands of Bible-believing Christians believe that the coming of the Lord for His Church is imminent.

      It could happen any day, any moment.

      They believe when this event takes place that Christians will be translated, receiving instantly glorious bodies suited for life in heaven.

      At the same moment, the dead in Christ will be raised from their graves and with those translated will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

      Thus will begin an eternity of bliss in the presence of the Lord.

The meaning of the word

1 Thessalonians 4:13 -18

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

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.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

      The primary purpose of Paul here is to comfort Christians concerning other Christians – relatives or loved ones – who have died.

      Those who have died are described as “those who have fallen asleep” and who “sleep in Jesus”

      “We shall be caught up” in Greek is harpazo

      Harpazo – a sudden, swift, violent grab.

      Bible commentators use the word “Rapture” for harpazo

      Rapture is a Latin word means precisely the same

The Coming Events

 

Age of Grace         Rapture                                             

Great tribulation                               Second Coming of Christ         Millennium                                                 Eternity

Spiritual history of the world

1.      Adam to the great Flood

§  1656 years – 16 y centuries

§  People were allowed to live according to their conscience

§  People did evil

§  God punished them with flood

§  Few people – Noah and his family – 8 people – escaped the flood

2.      Flood to the Calling of Abraham

§  427 years

§  Governments came into being

§  Men are scattered throughout the earth because their language was confused

§  Idol worship starts

§  Genesis 9 – 11 (only three chapters)

3.      Calling of Abraham to Moses

§  430 years

§  Abraham is selected as a panacea for man’s evil

§  Abraham is promised a land for his own generation

§  Man stands in the Promised Land

§  Father of all believers

§  Covenant of circumcision – Promises guaranteed by covenant

4.      Moses to Christ

§  1491 years

§  Age of Law to age of Grace

§  Royal rights and power is transferred to Gentiles because of the sin of Israelites

§  Israel went under the authority of Gentiles

§  Up to AD 70

5.      Christ to Rapture

§  Time of Rapture is not sure – only God the father knows

§  Gospel will be preached everywhere

§  Church is formed by those who believes in Christ

6.         Rapture to the Second coming of Christ

§  7 years

§  The Tribulation period

§  Christ comes back with his saints for a 1000 year rule on earth

7.      Millennium

§  1000 years

§  Christ rules as the King

§  All prophecies are fulfilled

8.      Eternity

§  Rest

Will Church Go Through The Great Tribulation

Revelation 3:7 - 10

7    And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts; and shuts and no one opens, says these things:

8    I know your works. Behold, I have given before you an open door, and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength and have kept My word and have not denied My name.

9    Behold, I will give out of those of the synagogue of Satan, those saying themselves to be Jews and are not, but lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

10 Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

The Characteristics of the Church at Philadelphia:

1.      Little strength 2.      Still, kept My word 3.      Not denied My name. 4.      Kept the word of My patience

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Represents the true Church at all ages

The Reward:

I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

keep you from- Keep from – keep out of

Will He really come for his saints?

John 14: 1 – 3

1   Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

1.      In my Father's house

2.      Many mansions

3.      I go to prepare a place for you.

4.      After preparing a place for you:

i.           where I am, there ye may be also

ii.         I will come again

iii.       receive you unto myself

Acts of Apostles 1: 9 - 11

9    And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

v  This same Jesus

v  Who is taken up into heaven

v  in like manner

v  Shall so come

The actual picture

ΠThree dramatic sounds to herald it.

i.     The Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ

John 5: 28,29

28 Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice,

29 and shall come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil to the resurrection of condemnation.

a.   It is the voice of Christ that has power to call the dead out of their graves

b.   At this particular moment He will call out only the righteous dead – only those who have died in faith

c.    The calling of the unrighteous dead will be reserved for a later phase of resurrection.

ii.      The voice of the Archangel

1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

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.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

a.      The arch angel probably is Gabriel

b.      It is his special ministry to proclaim upon earth the impending interventions of God in the affairs of men

 

Jude 9

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

      Only Michel is called archangel in the Bible

iii.    The trumpet of God

      The believers at Thessalonica eagerly waited for the coming of Christ

      They believed that it will happen during their life

      But they were troubled by their concern about the dead believers

      So St. Paul replies to their anxiety :

1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

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.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15: 51 – 54

51 Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed;

52 in a moment, in a glance of an eye, at the last trumpet. For a trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall all 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.

Mystery

i.           The word mystery with us is commonly used in the sense of that which is beyond comprehension

ii.         it is often applied to such doctrines as exhibit difficulties which we are not able to explain. 

iii.       But this is not the sense in which it is commonly used in the Scriptures.

iv.       The word mystery, in the Bible, properly means a thing that is concealed, or that has been concealed.

v.         Rapture was never revealed in the Old Testament

vi.       Previously unrevealed secret of God’s plan for the church

 

The Trumpet

      Trumpet is used to gather the Lord’s people together in any special time of crisis

      This  is not the trumpet for the Judgment of the Lord

      This is to gather all believers together to meet the Lord.

                  Announces the end of the Church age

                  The end of age of Grace

 Lord Himself will descend from heaven

1.                  with a shout

2.                  with the voice of an archangel

Ž The dead in Christ will rise first.

1.      A the dead shall be raised incorruptible

2.      All true believers died in faith will be resurrected

 Who are alive shall be caught up together with the resurrected dead in the clouds

We shall all be changed

i.        Those who are live will undergo a miraculous change in their bodies

ii.      They will become exactly like those who are resurrected from dead

iii.    The corruptible must put on incorruption

iv.    These two companies of believers will together be swiftly raised from earth.

v.      They will be received into clouds

  And thus we shall always be with the Lord

1.   They will be united with the Lord

2.   Thereafter the Lord and His redeemed believers will forever be united in unbroken harmony and fellowship

Everything will happen within in a moment, in a glance of an eye

 

Two different purposes The Rapture and the Second Coming

1.      For His saints – For His Church

1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

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.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

2.  Coming with His saints – for Israel and for those who accept Christ after rapture.

Jude 14, 15

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Enoch A Methuselah A Lamech A Noah

Enoch	Noah
Church	Israel
Walked with God Genesis 5:24	Received God’s grace – walked with God Genesis 6:9
He was not; for God took him	Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD
In heaven when Earth was punished	On Earth when Earth was being punished – but escaped God’s anger by seeking shelter in an Ark – Christ
Prophesied about the coming judgment upon all ungodly	Prophesied about the coming judgment upon all ungodly

Rapture	Second Coming
Christ comes in the clouds to catch up his saints in the air	Christ comes with His people to Earth
Rewards are given (No judgment)	Judgment

 

Rapture – when will it happen?

Matthew 24: 36 - 43

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Rapture – Signs

Matthew 24: 1 - 35

1    And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

2    And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3    And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4    And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5    For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6    And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7    For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8    All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9    Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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