The Rapture

The Truth about the Rapture

Rapture - to be carried away with force or power

Two popular beliefs in Christendom

Pre-tribulationism: Church caught up to God before the tribulation and the wicked left for 7 years of tribulation, at the end of those 7 years Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom
Post- Tribulationism: Rapture at the end of time when Jesus returns, after the tribulation.

*Variations of these two beliefs do exist in Christianity.

History

Rome has been naturally been divided through history, initially as Pagan Rome and the Christians However Roman Emperors sought to increase their political power and influence by combining state and church. Thus by church leaders taking a more political leadership role, Rome increasingly became a religious-political state. Soon the divide was between Papal Rome and the Protestant Christians, who were Christians who began to protest against the false teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Francisco Ribera (1537–1591) was a Spanish Jesuit theologian, hired by Catholic leaders to study the book of Revelation to come up with a counter interpretation of what the Protestant Reformers were teaching, the Post - tribulation rapture. The post- tribulation rapture is a Biblical concept that deals with the great tribulation which the church would endure. It would be a deep time of trouble until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, at the Second Coming the righteous would be raptured up with God and the wicked would be destroyed. It was not unusual for counterfeit interpretations to Biblical truths to be created. These sorts of plots enabled the enhancement of the religious-political power of Rome, in order to gain influence over a constantly divided nation. One thing that you must remember is Christianity at this point was on fire and so in order to subdue it or control it, meant the political powers had to infiltrate the church. Some preachers like to put as “the devil joining the church”, sort of like the saying, “If you can’t beat them join them”, in a very twisted way. Once the interpretation was written by Francisco, it did not gain much popularity immediately . Another man named John Nelson Darby a founder of the Plymouth Brethren organisation, made the interpretation his own by coining it through Darbyism, the Darbyism rapture. Nonetheless the interpretation didn’t gain great influence until Cyrus Ingerson Scofield an American theologian, minister, and writer took these concepts, which are called futurism and dispensationalism and made them popular among fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalism is a form of Bible interpretation that is literal, it divides history into seven ‘dispensations’, and uses grammar in scripture to support the ideas. Scofield incorporated Darby’s interpretation in his Bible notes and so the false doctrine became popular, especially through evangelic literature. One of the popular Pre tribulation theorists, Tim LaHaye says in his book, No Fear of the Storm, There is no verse in the Bible that specifically states “Christ will come before the Tribulation” p188. So despite knowing there is no Biblical evidence for this pre tribulation rapture, the false doctrine continues to gain popularity. The doctrine basically says when John hears the trumpet in Revelation 4, the church is raptured and the rest of Revelation is while the church is in Heaven, thus according to these theologians the rest of the 18 chapters of Revelation are irrelevant to the church, which is incorrect. Some quotes for perspective: James M. Efird “If we come to the text already knowing what it is going to say, all we find is what we wish to find…thus the biblical texts are not allowed to speak as originally intended.”

"Without the belief in the resurrection the Christian Faith could not have come into being." William Lane Craig

Biblical view of the Rapture

2 Peter 3:10 Christ coming like a thief is often used as a means to justify a “secret rapture”.

Notice what the rest of the text says, there will be a “great noise” the “elements shall melt”. So when Jesus comes it will be a great and mighty event, there is nothing secret, just unsuspecting, a surprise so to speak. Think of it this way thieves do not send messages before they break in, that is what God is trying to make clear, His appearing will be unsuspected.

Who will actually be surprised? Is it the church or the world?

Matthew 24:42-44 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 It is the world that is sleeping, we are in the light, we know Jesus promised to return. So while we do not know the exact time, we do know He is coming.

Check vs 3 It says “sudden destruction” comes upon them, them being the wicked or the world. If there is destruction of the wicked, how could they be stuck in 7 years of tribulation? Christ’s return is audible:

Psalm 50:3 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Nothing quiet about His return

Jeremiah 4:23-26 The language used here is quite similar to the world Pre-Creation, reminds me of the verse, “Dust you are and dust you shall return” Genesis 3:19 If you notice the place was once fruitful and is now a wilderness, so everything, the cities have been destroyed. vs26 Presence here in Greek parousía means “the coming” of the Lord

So we definitely know this is a Prophecy of the 2nd Coming

Christ’s return is visual: Revelation 1:7 Matthew 24:30 It is a glorious event and we all see Him

Who will be with Christ when He returns? Matthew 25:31 All the angels will be present...How many angels are there? (Matthew 26:53) Jesus says if He wanted to He could ask His Father for more than 12 legions of angels. A legion is about 3000-6000, 6000 x12 = 72,000 (+) Angels (Imagine!!) In the Roman armies a legion would not account for the horsemen so imagine how many more! Matthew 24:31 The angels do the gathering 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 The angels also take vengeance “Sudden destruction” again no one is left behind Remember the angels at Jesus’ tomb, that one angel caused those soldiers to drop down as though they were dead! Also the story in 2 Kings 19:35/Isaiah 37:36 tells of how one angel killed 185,000 in one night If all His angels are coming, imagine the impact, it definitely is the end.

Why is Jesus coming back? John 14:3 John 17:24 He wants to be with us, this is not a vengeance mission, God simply wants to be with His people. Revelation 22:12 He is coming to give a reward If His coming was “quick” back then imagine how quickly now What destroys the wicked? 2 Thessalonians 2:8 The brightness of His coming Hebrews 12:29 He is a consuming fire What about the righteous who are dead? 1 Thessalonians 4:16 Graves open up and all the righteous will be awoken from their sleep (Remember death in the Bible is likened unto a sleep, everyone who dies sleeps until the second coming of Jesus Christ) The Bible even speaks of the righteous dead coming from the Sea. Rev 20:12 How will the dead be put back together again? Ezekiel 37 Is a foreshadowing of the 1st Resurrection, just by the Word that God gives Ezekiel to speak in his vision, the dry bones become as flesh! With just a word! God can command it and it will be so, the same way He raised Lazarus in John 11. All He said was Lazarus was asleep and “Lazarus, come forth.” (Hallelujah!) 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 (Even read 51-58 to understand the whole thing) New bodies, the mortality shall put on immortality and the corruptible will put on incorruptible!

What about the righteous who are alive when Jesus comes? 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds So first the dead in Christ and then the righteous who have not died Do you remember somewhere in the Bible where two people were taken to Heaven?

Matthew 17:1-5 vs 3 Moses and Elijah Elijah taken up in the fiery chariot Moses - died...so how or when did he get to Heaven? (Jude 9) So Moses was resurrected So both Elijah and Moses symbolise God’s people at the end of time:

Elijah - those who will be translated having never tasted death

Moses - those who will be resurrected Wait, Who do you think Michael is? Micha-el “Who is like God” Archangel means Chief Messenger (The highest/greatest) This Michael is able to resurrect - John 11:25 Daniel 12: 1-4 -When Michael stands up He ends the time of trouble Daniel 10:12,21 He is called Daniel’s Prince and in the previous chapter Prince is used to describe the Messiah Daniel 9:25 Indeed Michael is Jesus Christ Himself. So you also see in Daniel 12:1-4 that God’s people are saved in the time of trouble & are delivered through it. So what happens to the wicked? They are destroyed

2 Thessalonians 2:8

There is no split in the rapture and the 2nd Coming

Revelation 6:15-17 They want to die The trumpet, the roar, the resurrection, translation, the death of the wicked, all of this happens at the same time, there is no split What is happening to the earth at the Second Coming? Revelation 16:18 - A great earthquake Revelation 16:21 - Hailstones that weigh a talent, that’s about 56 pounds, 4 stone, 25kg Matthew 24:27 - Lightening,

There is nothing secret about the second coming

Romans 8:22 - Creation is groaning Remember when Jesus died, there was no sun, just darkness, the sun wouldn’t shine, the Creator was dead. It’s even said to have been a strange darkness all around the world around the time Jesus died. Just remember Jesus Christ’s 2nd Advent is: A literal event, personal, visible, audible, physical, vitalizing - as bodies are being transformed, glorious and climatic, it is the end of earth’s history as we know it.

Remember Isaiah 8:20* Examples in the Bible Egypt- Were the Israelites in Egypt during the 10 plagues? The Flood -Was Noah saved from the flood or through the flood?

Lions Den The Fiery Furnace Job & his trials Even Jesus All saved despite tribulation That’s something to keep close to your heart, Having joy is not the absence of trial, having joy is regardless of trial.