Understanding The Rapture
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The greatest event that could happen in our lifetime is the rapture of the church.
Scriptures on the Rapture
Christ’s Coming FOR the Saints:
1. Pray always.
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
3. We shall not all sleep (die physically), but we shall all be changed.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
3. We shall not all sleep (die physically), but we shall all be changed. In a moment … at the last trump … the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we (the living) shall be changed … put on immortality … then … death is swallowed up in victory.
Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
5. From whence (heaven) also we look for … Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
Judgement Seat Of Christ
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Scriptures on the Second Coming -- Christ’s Coming WITH the Saints:
1. One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages shall serve Him (Dan. 2:44–45; 7:13–14, 18, 27).
2. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations … His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which … shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west … the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee (Zech. 14:1–5, 9, 16–21).
3. Immediately after the tribulation … 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 (Mt. 24:29–31).
4. When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory. And before Him shall be gathered all nations (Mt. 25:31–46).
5. When the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God (2Th. 1:7–10; 2:8).
6. The Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all … that are ungodly (Jude 1:14–15).
7. He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him … all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him … the armies of heaven followed Him upon white horses (Rev. 1:7. See Rev. 19:11–21; 20:1–3; Isa. 63:1–6; Joel 3).
Rapture Before Antichrist
The church will continue to hinder lawlessness until the rapture. And then the Antichrist will be revealed. This is conclusive proof that the rapture takes place before Daniel’s 70th week and the tribulation of Rev. 6:1 -- Rev. 19:21. According to Dan. 9:27, Antichrist will be here for 7 years, for he makes a 7-year covenant with Israel. If he is here for 7 years, which will be the last 7 years of this age, and if he who hinders lawlessness refers to the church and is taken out of the way before he comes, then the rapture will take place before the last 7 years of this age and before the Antichrist comes at the beginning of those 7 years. See other proofs of this fact, Rev. 4:1, note.
The Rapture First
Christians are not in ignorance and darkness about the day of the Lord (1Th. 5:1–2, 4–5, 9). The rapture takes place at least seven years before the second coming (2Th. 2:7, note; Rev. 4:1, note). Therefore, they will not be here for that day to overtake them as a thief like it will the ungodly (1Th. 5:2–5).
The Jews had a tradition that God would judge the Gentiles at night when they were careless and asleep in sin, but would judge the Jews in the day when they would be keeping the law. But both Jews and Gentiles who miss the rapture will have the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief. It is only brethren who will be translated and escape this day (1Th. 5:4–5, 9; Lk. 21:36; 2Th. 2:7, note).