Could there be a "partial" Rapture?
Could there be a "partial" Rapture?
"The simple answer is no. Some teach that only the perfect will be
evacuated during the Rapture, but this is contrary to the teaching of
God's Word. Many base this teaching on Hebrews 9:28-"Unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation"-saying that the Rapture is only for those who are watching.
Such a premise is at odds with the rest of the Bible. We must always
keep the study of the Rapture in biblical context. It's been wisely
said that one cannot take a text out of context without creating a
pretext. Every verse on the subject must be considered before a valid
conclusion can be reached regarding a doctrine. First John 2:28 tells
the other side of the story: "And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming." This verse begins with the terminology of
His appearing and ends with the statement of His coming. It says that
when He comes to snatch us into His presence in the twinkling of an
eye, there will be many who are ashamed. The conclusion is if they
were perfect, they would not be ashamed. So the idea that one must
lead a sinless life to be accepted as part of the Body or Bride for
the Rapture does not agree with the rest of the Bible. So let me
repeat this important statement. One is not ashamed if he is perfect.
Therefore, the imperfect are raptured. The Bible also reveals that
there are persons who are saved by fire standing before the Lord (see
1 Corinthians 3:15). They made heaven "by the skin of their teeth," so
to speak. The only way any of us can stand in a perfected state before
Jesus Christ in that hour is through the merits of His shed blood.
Second Corinthians 5:21 declares, "For [God] hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him." This is our only perfection. In addition, the Bible
states that every believer is a member of the body of Christ. Should
only those who meet a certain standard of spirituality be taken, the
body of Jesus Christ would be dismembered and disfigured. This is
impossible. First Corinthians 15:51-52 states that "we shall ALL be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"
(emphasis added). The partial Rapture view, by definition, denies the
teaching on the unity of Christ's body. First Corinthians 12:12-13
says, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made
to drink into one Spirit." What is the message of this verse? All
believers are united together to form the entire body of Christ, who
is the head. Perhaps most disturbing, however, is that the partial
rapturist must place a segment of the body of Christ in the
Tribulation period. We've already indicated in several places that
this cannot happen. The Body of Christ will have no limbs or organs
missing on the glorious day the Rapture occurs.
What relationship exists between the Rapture, the Revelation, and
prophetic signs?
What relationship exists between the Rapture, the Revelation, and
prophetic signs? Where do they fit into the schedule of events
described in God's Word? Many believers think the signs point to phase
one, the Rapture, because they identify the snatching away as the
Second Coming of Christ. As we noted earlier, doctrinally speaking,
this cannot be so. The actual Second Coming of Christ is the second
phase, the Revelation, or the revealing of Christ to the inhabitants
of earth. Since He came to earth at His first advent, He must come to
earth at His second advent. The Rapture is not Christ's appearance
upon earth, but a meeting in the heavens-an intermediary evacuation of
believers from earth before the storm. Seven years later, Christ comes
to earth, touching down on the "mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:4). The
prophetic signs, then, point to Christ's return to earth with His
saints at the close of the Tribulation Hour- not to the Rapture. Here
is how you can be assured this interpretation is accurate. Take two
Bibles and place them side by side. Open one to Revelation 6, where
the signs begin to be fulfilled. Then open the other to Matthew 24,
Mark 13, and Luke 17 or 21, where Christ's prophetic predictions are
recorded. The inescapable conclusion is that the signs are identical.
The Church is taken in Revelation 4, and the signs take place two
chapters later. The signs of Revelation 6 are identical to the
predictions of Christ in the four Gospels, proving that the signs
Jesus gave point to His revelation, the second phase of the Second
Coming. Even if there were not a sign yet in existence, we believers
could be called home any moment. This is true because each of the
signs could occur during the seven-year period following the
believers' departure. Remember, the signs point to Christ's Second
Coming to earth (Revelation 19). I believe we may go to be with our
Lord at any moment because Jesus said, "When ye shall see all these
things [signs-not one, not two, but all the signs occurring
simultaneously], know that it is near, even at the doors" (Matthew
24:33). What is near when a person sees all the signs occurring?
Christ's return to earth, the Revelation, phase two. When this
happens, all believers will return with Him. All the signs pointing to
the return of Christ with His saints- the return of the King with His
armies-are already in their beginning stages. Thus, the signs say that
we, too, are coming back with the Lord soon. How can this be as long
as we are still present on earth? There is but one logical conclusion.
We must be removed soon through phase one, the Rapture, to return with
Christ, via phase two, the Revelation.
What differences are there between the Rapture And the Revelation?
The Rapture
We referred to this earlier, but because it remains one of the most
misunderstood areas of end-time teaching, I want to deal with it in
depth, buttressed by key passages of scripture, to give you a clear
distinction between the two events. Many believers are unaware that
there are two stages or phases within the process of the Second
Coming-the Rapture and the Revelation-and that these events are
separated by a seven-year period. I believe the Rapture is the next
occurrence on God's calendar. This Rapture is the literal, visible,
and bodily return of Christ in the heavens. Acts 1:9-11 states: "And
when he [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was
taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they
looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood
by them in white apparel; 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." Has Christ already returned? Some cultists declare
that He came in 1914 or 1918 as an invisible spirit. This is nonsense!
The Bible declares that Jesus shall return as He left. A person can
easily know how He left by studying Luke 24:39. Christ, in His new,
resurrected body, said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as
ye see me have." He adds in verse 41, "Have ye here any meat?" The
disciples gave Christ a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb, which He
took and ate before them (w. 42-43). The risen Savior had a body of
flesh and bones-a body that could be seen, touched, and fed. This same
Christ, in the same body, shall come in like manner from heaven. When
He returns in the heavens, all believers, dead and living, will also
be taken bodily to meet Him in the clouds. One day soon, the people of
God will disappear from the earth in a blaze of glory.
As a new Christian, I painted a message on the glove compartment of my
automobile. It said, "The driver of this car is awaiting the return of
Christ. At His coming, Christians will disappear bodily from the
earth. Should I suddenly vanish, take over the steering wheel!" I can
still remember the look on the faces of hitchhikers as they read my
startling message. Some of them declared, "Hey, buddy, the next corner
is as far as I go!" It was true then, and it is true today: The
unsaved world has great difficulty accepting the glorious teaching of
the Rapture. The Christian accepts by faith the declarations of the
Word of God concerning this glorious subject. First Thessalonians
4:16-18 states, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Verse 14
declares that when Christ comes at the time of the Rapture, He will
bring those who sleep (the dead) with Him. At this point, someone may
state, "Look here, I've found my first contradiction in the Bible. How
can Christ bring the dead with Him (v. 14) and come after the dead (v.
16)?" There are no contradictions in the Word of God. Instead, it is
the finite, limited intellect of human beings who are unable to grasp
the infinite, unlimited mind of the omniscient God. If one is led by
the Holy Spirit and studies under His direction, the so-called
contradictions fade into obscurity.
How can Christ bring the dead with Him in verse 14 and come after the
dead in verse 16? Here is the solution: When a believer dies, his
spirit and soul enter the presence of God, but the body goes into the
grave. "To be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord"
(2 Corinthians 5:8). This soul, absent from the body, is with Christ
until the great day when body, soul, and spirit are reunited at the
coming of Jesus. So, Christ brings the dead (the soul and spirit) with
Him in verse 14 to come after the dead (the body) in verse 16. When
"the dead rise first," it is the body-only the body-that comes out of
the grave to be reunited with the soul and spirit descending with
Christ from heaven. If the Lord comes to receive the bodies of the
dead in Christ, will He leave the bodies of the living in Christ
behind? If this were the case, the wisest thing to do at the sound of
the trumpet would be to commit suicide. This, however, is not the
case. The Bible declares, "The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
[the dead] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord" (w. 16-17). Thus, we see that the Rapture is a
bodily resurrection for the dead and living who are in Christ, or who
are born again. The entire occurrence is going to take place in half a
blink: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be
dead], but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible [the dead] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [the
living] must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). In this
moment of time, we take upon ourselves immortality and are transformed
to be like Jesus. First John 3:2 reports, "[When we see Jesus] we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Philippians 3:21
verifies that our bodies will be changed as we enter into God's
presence in whirlwind style. These verses remind us our citizenship is
in heaven, where we also look for our Savior, the One who shall change
our vile body and fashion it like unto His own glorious body.
There are still those who say, "I don't believe in the Rapture,
because the word rapture cannot be found in the Bible." Matter of
fact, the word Bible cannot be found in the Bible either, but this
does not disprove the Book's existence. Terms are coined regularly to
portray the experiences they picture, and, to review, the word rapture
comes from the Latin word rapturo or rapio, which means "a snatching
away." The passages above offer proof enough that the Bible teaches a
snatching away. Thus, since God tells us there shall be a snatching
away, and since rapturo translated from Latin to English means "a
snatching away," only the willfully ignorant reject such a clear-cut
term to describe the first phase of the Second Coming of Christ. Here
is an interesting sideline. Jerome, when creating the Catholic Latin
Vulgate version, was the first to use the term rapturo for the
snatching away of 1 Corinthians 15:52. Hence, the Catholic Church is
literally responsible for this glorious term.
The Revelation
The second phase of the Second Coming, described as "the Revelation,"
will take place seven years after the Rapture. Again, the term
revelation is a coined word, picturing the truth it depicts.
Revelation comes from the word revealing. When Christ returns to
earth, He will reveal Himself to all inhabitants of the globe. Hence,
this event is called the Revelation or revealing of Christ. Revelation
4:1 describes phase one of the return of Christ, while Revelation
19:11 depicts phase two. Fix these two chapters firmly in your mind,
and prophecy will become a stabilized blessing in your life. The "come
up hither" of Revelation 4:1 is the Rapture, the meeting in the air.
The appearance of the rider on the white horse and His armies in
Revelation 19:11 is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Chapter 4 removes
the believer from the judgments described in chapters 6-18, while
chapter 19 restores him to his earthly sojourn after the judgments are
completed. Chapter 4, depicting the Rapture, occurs before the seven
years of tribulation described in chapters 6-18, and chapter 19
describes the return of the King and His people, after the horrendous
catastrophes of chapters 6-18 occur. We know this to be true because
the Book of Revelation is written chronologically, with the
Tribulation Hour taking place in chapters 6-18. Four precedes six, and
nineteen follows eighteen. It's that simple. The Church is removed in
chapter 4, and the Tribulation follows in chapters 6-18. Then the
saints return at the conclusion of the Tribulation Hour in chapter 19.
In addition. Revelation 3:10 states, "Because thou hast kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from [not through (preservation)
but from (the Greek-ek-OUT of)] the hour of temptation, which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." This
will be the world's most terrifying hour. All the wars of the past
will look like Sunday school picnics in comparison. Jeremiah 30:7
says, "Alas, for that day is great, [there is none] like it." Daniel
12:1: "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation even to that same time." Joel 2:1-2: "Let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the lord cometh, for
it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of
clouds and of thick darkness ... there hath [never] been ... the
like." Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be." When it occurs, fiery incineration will
engulf the globe: "The lord will come with fire" (Isaiah 66:15). "The
flaming flame shall not be quenched" (Ezekiel 20:47). "A fire
devoureth before them" (Joel 2:3). "The whole land shall be devoured
by the fire of his jealousy" (Zephaniah 1:18). "Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall
consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in
their mouth" (Zechariah 14:12). "The third part of trees was burnt up,
and all green grass was burnt up" (Revelation 8:7). "By these three
was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and
by the brimstone" (Revelation 9:18). The Tribulation Hour lies just
ahead for the human race. The saved will be removed before it begins.
They are described as taken in Revelation 4:1, and they experience the
judgment seat of Christ before the chapter ends. In fact, we find them
placing crowns (their rewards) at the feet of the Savior in verses 10
and 11-two chapters before the Tribulation period begins. This is
proof that the saved are safe and secure when the judgments begin in
chapter 6. Then, when the blitzkrieg ends in chapter 18, the saved
return with Christ as He appears to the inhabitants of the earth and
becomes their King. Revelation 19:11-16 gives us a glimpse of the
momentous event: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse;
and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of
fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written,
that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the
armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in
fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a
name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." This is the revealing
of Christ to the nations. At His revelation, every eye will see His
glory. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him"
(Revelation 1:7). The armies following Him from heaven to earth are
the saints who were removed from the earth in Revelation 4:1. They
were evacuated before the great holocaust began. They are the same
crowd mentioned in Jude, verse 14: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints." The Hebrews and Greeks had no terminology to
describe millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions, etc. They simply
said, "ten thousands." Thus, the innumerable company of saints
following the Lord to earth are the redeemed."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
God bless you.
"The simple answer is no. Some teach that only the perfect will be
evacuated during the Rapture, but this is contrary to the teaching of
God's Word. Many base this teaching on Hebrews 9:28-"Unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation"-saying that the Rapture is only for those who are watching.
Such a premise is at odds with the rest of the Bible. We must always
keep the study of the Rapture in biblical context. It's been wisely
said that one cannot take a text out of context without creating a
pretext. Every verse on the subject must be considered before a valid
conclusion can be reached regarding a doctrine. First John 2:28 tells
the other side of the story: "And now, little children, abide in him;
that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming." This verse begins with the terminology of
His appearing and ends with the statement of His coming. It says that
when He comes to snatch us into His presence in the twinkling of an
eye, there will be many who are ashamed. The conclusion is if they
were perfect, they would not be ashamed. So the idea that one must
lead a sinless life to be accepted as part of the Body or Bride for
the Rapture does not agree with the rest of the Bible. So let me
repeat this important statement. One is not ashamed if he is perfect.
Therefore, the imperfect are raptured. The Bible also reveals that
there are persons who are saved by fire standing before the Lord (see
1 Corinthians 3:15). They made heaven "by the skin of their teeth," so
to speak. The only way any of us can stand in a perfected state before
Jesus Christ in that hour is through the merits of His shed blood.
Second Corinthians 5:21 declares, "For [God] hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him." This is our only perfection. In addition, the Bible
states that every believer is a member of the body of Christ. Should
only those who meet a certain standard of spirituality be taken, the
body of Jesus Christ would be dismembered and disfigured. This is
impossible. First Corinthians 15:51-52 states that "we shall ALL be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"
(emphasis added). The partial Rapture view, by definition, denies the
teaching on the unity of Christ's body. First Corinthians 12:12-13
says, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made
to drink into one Spirit." What is the message of this verse? All
believers are united together to form the entire body of Christ, who
is the head. Perhaps most disturbing, however, is that the partial
rapturist must place a segment of the body of Christ in the
Tribulation period. We've already indicated in several places that
this cannot happen. The Body of Christ will have no limbs or organs
missing on the glorious day the Rapture occurs.
What relationship exists between the Rapture, the Revelation, and
prophetic signs?
What relationship exists between the Rapture, the Revelation, and
prophetic signs? Where do they fit into the schedule of events
described in God's Word? Many believers think the signs point to phase
one, the Rapture, because they identify the snatching away as the
Second Coming of Christ. As we noted earlier, doctrinally speaking,
this cannot be so. The actual Second Coming of Christ is the second
phase, the Revelation, or the revealing of Christ to the inhabitants
of earth. Since He came to earth at His first advent, He must come to
earth at His second advent. The Rapture is not Christ's appearance
upon earth, but a meeting in the heavens-an intermediary evacuation of
believers from earth before the storm. Seven years later, Christ comes
to earth, touching down on the "mount of Olives" (Zechariah 14:4). The
prophetic signs, then, point to Christ's return to earth with His
saints at the close of the Tribulation Hour- not to the Rapture. Here
is how you can be assured this interpretation is accurate. Take two
Bibles and place them side by side. Open one to Revelation 6, where
the signs begin to be fulfilled. Then open the other to Matthew 24,
Mark 13, and Luke 17 or 21, where Christ's prophetic predictions are
recorded. The inescapable conclusion is that the signs are identical.
The Church is taken in Revelation 4, and the signs take place two
chapters later. The signs of Revelation 6 are identical to the
predictions of Christ in the four Gospels, proving that the signs
Jesus gave point to His revelation, the second phase of the Second
Coming. Even if there were not a sign yet in existence, we believers
could be called home any moment. This is true because each of the
signs could occur during the seven-year period following the
believers' departure. Remember, the signs point to Christ's Second
Coming to earth (Revelation 19). I believe we may go to be with our
Lord at any moment because Jesus said, "When ye shall see all these
things [signs-not one, not two, but all the signs occurring
simultaneously], know that it is near, even at the doors" (Matthew
24:33). What is near when a person sees all the signs occurring?
Christ's return to earth, the Revelation, phase two. When this
happens, all believers will return with Him. All the signs pointing to
the return of Christ with His saints- the return of the King with His
armies-are already in their beginning stages. Thus, the signs say that
we, too, are coming back with the Lord soon. How can this be as long
as we are still present on earth? There is but one logical conclusion.
We must be removed soon through phase one, the Rapture, to return with
Christ, via phase two, the Revelation.
What differences are there between the Rapture And the Revelation?
The Rapture
We referred to this earlier, but because it remains one of the most
misunderstood areas of end-time teaching, I want to deal with it in
depth, buttressed by key passages of scripture, to give you a clear
distinction between the two events. Many believers are unaware that
there are two stages or phases within the process of the Second
Coming-the Rapture and the Revelation-and that these events are
separated by a seven-year period. I believe the Rapture is the next
occurrence on God's calendar. This Rapture is the literal, visible,
and bodily return of Christ in the heavens. Acts 1:9-11 states: "And
when he [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was
taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they
looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood
by them in white apparel; 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." Has Christ already returned? Some cultists declare
that He came in 1914 or 1918 as an invisible spirit. This is nonsense!
The Bible declares that Jesus shall return as He left. A person can
easily know how He left by studying Luke 24:39. Christ, in His new,
resurrected body, said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as
ye see me have." He adds in verse 41, "Have ye here any meat?" The
disciples gave Christ a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb, which He
took and ate before them (w. 42-43). The risen Savior had a body of
flesh and bones-a body that could be seen, touched, and fed. This same
Christ, in the same body, shall come in like manner from heaven. When
He returns in the heavens, all believers, dead and living, will also
be taken bodily to meet Him in the clouds. One day soon, the people of
God will disappear from the earth in a blaze of glory.
As a new Christian, I painted a message on the glove compartment of my
automobile. It said, "The driver of this car is awaiting the return of
Christ. At His coming, Christians will disappear bodily from the
earth. Should I suddenly vanish, take over the steering wheel!" I can
still remember the look on the faces of hitchhikers as they read my
startling message. Some of them declared, "Hey, buddy, the next corner
is as far as I go!" It was true then, and it is true today: The
unsaved world has great difficulty accepting the glorious teaching of
the Rapture. The Christian accepts by faith the declarations of the
Word of God concerning this glorious subject. First Thessalonians
4:16-18 states, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Verse 14
declares that when Christ comes at the time of the Rapture, He will
bring those who sleep (the dead) with Him. At this point, someone may
state, "Look here, I've found my first contradiction in the Bible. How
can Christ bring the dead with Him (v. 14) and come after the dead (v.
16)?" There are no contradictions in the Word of God. Instead, it is
the finite, limited intellect of human beings who are unable to grasp
the infinite, unlimited mind of the omniscient God. If one is led by
the Holy Spirit and studies under His direction, the so-called
contradictions fade into obscurity.
How can Christ bring the dead with Him in verse 14 and come after the
dead in verse 16? Here is the solution: When a believer dies, his
spirit and soul enter the presence of God, but the body goes into the
grave. "To be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord"
(2 Corinthians 5:8). This soul, absent from the body, is with Christ
until the great day when body, soul, and spirit are reunited at the
coming of Jesus. So, Christ brings the dead (the soul and spirit) with
Him in verse 14 to come after the dead (the body) in verse 16. When
"the dead rise first," it is the body-only the body-that comes out of
the grave to be reunited with the soul and spirit descending with
Christ from heaven. If the Lord comes to receive the bodies of the
dead in Christ, will He leave the bodies of the living in Christ
behind? If this were the case, the wisest thing to do at the sound of
the trumpet would be to commit suicide. This, however, is not the
case. The Bible declares, "The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
[the dead] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord" (w. 16-17). Thus, we see that the Rapture is a
bodily resurrection for the dead and living who are in Christ, or who
are born again. The entire occurrence is going to take place in half a
blink: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [be
dead], but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible [the dead] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [the
living] must put on immortality" (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). In this
moment of time, we take upon ourselves immortality and are transformed
to be like Jesus. First John 3:2 reports, "[When we see Jesus] we
shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." Philippians 3:21
verifies that our bodies will be changed as we enter into God's
presence in whirlwind style. These verses remind us our citizenship is
in heaven, where we also look for our Savior, the One who shall change
our vile body and fashion it like unto His own glorious body.
There are still those who say, "I don't believe in the Rapture,
because the word rapture cannot be found in the Bible." Matter of
fact, the word Bible cannot be found in the Bible either, but this
does not disprove the Book's existence. Terms are coined regularly to
portray the experiences they picture, and, to review, the word rapture
comes from the Latin word rapturo or rapio, which means "a snatching
away." The passages above offer proof enough that the Bible teaches a
snatching away. Thus, since God tells us there shall be a snatching
away, and since rapturo translated from Latin to English means "a
snatching away," only the willfully ignorant reject such a clear-cut
term to describe the first phase of the Second Coming of Christ. Here
is an interesting sideline. Jerome, when creating the Catholic Latin
Vulgate version, was the first to use the term rapturo for the
snatching away of 1 Corinthians 15:52. Hence, the Catholic Church is
literally responsible for this glorious term.
The Revelation
The second phase of the Second Coming, described as "the Revelation,"
will take place seven years after the Rapture. Again, the term
revelation is a coined word, picturing the truth it depicts.
Revelation comes from the word revealing. When Christ returns to
earth, He will reveal Himself to all inhabitants of the globe. Hence,
this event is called the Revelation or revealing of Christ. Revelation
4:1 describes phase one of the return of Christ, while Revelation
19:11 depicts phase two. Fix these two chapters firmly in your mind,
and prophecy will become a stabilized blessing in your life. The "come
up hither" of Revelation 4:1 is the Rapture, the meeting in the air.
The appearance of the rider on the white horse and His armies in
Revelation 19:11 is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Chapter 4 removes
the believer from the judgments described in chapters 6-18, while
chapter 19 restores him to his earthly sojourn after the judgments are
completed. Chapter 4, depicting the Rapture, occurs before the seven
years of tribulation described in chapters 6-18, and chapter 19
describes the return of the King and His people, after the horrendous
catastrophes of chapters 6-18 occur. We know this to be true because
the Book of Revelation is written chronologically, with the
Tribulation Hour taking place in chapters 6-18. Four precedes six, and
nineteen follows eighteen. It's that simple. The Church is removed in
chapter 4, and the Tribulation follows in chapters 6-18. Then the
saints return at the conclusion of the Tribulation Hour in chapter 19.
In addition. Revelation 3:10 states, "Because thou hast kept the word
of my patience, I also will keep thee from [not through (preservation)
but from (the Greek-ek-OUT of)] the hour of temptation, which shall
come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." This
will be the world's most terrifying hour. All the wars of the past
will look like Sunday school picnics in comparison. Jeremiah 30:7
says, "Alas, for that day is great, [there is none] like it." Daniel
12:1: "There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation even to that same time." Joel 2:1-2: "Let all the
inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the lord cometh, for
it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of
clouds and of thick darkness ... there hath [never] been ... the
like." Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, "For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be." When it occurs, fiery incineration will
engulf the globe: "The lord will come with fire" (Isaiah 66:15). "The
flaming flame shall not be quenched" (Ezekiel 20:47). "A fire
devoureth before them" (Joel 2:3). "The whole land shall be devoured
by the fire of his jealousy" (Zephaniah 1:18). "Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall
consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in
their mouth" (Zechariah 14:12). "The third part of trees was burnt up,
and all green grass was burnt up" (Revelation 8:7). "By these three
was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and
by the brimstone" (Revelation 9:18). The Tribulation Hour lies just
ahead for the human race. The saved will be removed before it begins.
They are described as taken in Revelation 4:1, and they experience the
judgment seat of Christ before the chapter ends. In fact, we find them
placing crowns (their rewards) at the feet of the Savior in verses 10
and 11-two chapters before the Tribulation period begins. This is
proof that the saved are safe and secure when the judgments begin in
chapter 6. Then, when the blitzkrieg ends in chapter 18, the saved
return with Christ as He appears to the inhabitants of the earth and
becomes their King. Revelation 19:11-16 gives us a glimpse of the
momentous event: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse;
and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of
fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written,
that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the
armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in
fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with
a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and
wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a
name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." This is the revealing
of Christ to the nations. At His revelation, every eye will see His
glory. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him"
(Revelation 1:7). The armies following Him from heaven to earth are
the saints who were removed from the earth in Revelation 4:1. They
were evacuated before the great holocaust began. They are the same
crowd mentioned in Jude, verse 14: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints." The Hebrews and Greeks had no terminology to
describe millions, billions, trillions, quadrillions, etc. They simply
said, "ten thousands." Thus, the innumerable company of saints
following the Lord to earth are the redeemed."
Father God, forgive my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ down
to die on the cross and for shedding his blood for me. Three days
later you resurrected him. I accept that. I invite Jesus Christ into
my heart as my heart as my Lord and savior. In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
God bless you.
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