The Doctrine of the End Times: The Rapture (2024)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Review
Review
Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Eschatology is the study of the last days or the end times in God’s plan for mankind. God’s plan for mankind has been in progress since Creation and it will culminate in the end times.
Last week we learned that we will use the historical grammatical method of interpretation in this study. In other words, we’ll seek the natural meaning of the text, rather than speculate on some deeper, spiritualized meaning.
Finally, we learned that Jesus Christ is the central theme or the focus of the end times. He is the Lamb of God who paid the ultimate sacrifice for sin and who will return in the end times as judge and conqueror.
Message
Message
Let’s start off with a question this evening. It’s an easy one:
How many of you like to read books?
Read slowly:
Sometimes you run across people who will start a book, get really into it, and then skip to the end to see how it ends.
How many of you are willing to admit you do that?
We’ve probably all done that at some point.
Actually, that’s kind of what you are doing if you skip to and read the book of Revelation. There’s prophecy all throughout the Bible, but in Revelation God tells us how the story ends.
The book of Revelation is divided into three parts. Most of it is dealing with future events.
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Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
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The three parts of Revelation:
1. Things that were past
2. Things that are present
3. Things that are future
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The three parts of Revelation:
1. Things that were past - 1:12-16
2. Things that are present - 2 and 3
3. Things that are future - 4-22:5
For the purpose of this study, we’re going to take that format and look at events in chronological order. Our western mind likes to think linearly. We like to put events in order on a timeline. And so that is what we will attempt to do. Although this is not an exhaustive study of the end times, I want you to be able to walk away with a basic timeline of God’s prophetic calendar.
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The next event on God’s calendar is the imminent, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial return of Christ for all believers at the Rapture. 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Php. 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
There’s a lot of big words in that statement. Let’s break it down a bit.
The word “rapture” is not found in the Bible. It comes from the Latin word rapto which means “to seize and carry off, snatch, drag, hurry away.”
“Rapture” may not be in the Bible, but it is simply a term that has come to be used to refer to this event.
Imminent: could happen at any moment (it does not need an event to trigger it)
Pre-tribulational: will occur before the Tribulation
Pre-millennial: will occur before the Millennial Kingdom
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Here’s what will happen: Jesus Christ will return to earth in the air and will first resurrect all the dead in Christ. All of the Christians who are alive will then be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. All of those in Christ will receive their new, glorified bodies and return with Christ to Heaven. They will not experience the wrath of God towards sinners during the Tribulation. 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Thess. 5:9-10.
Read slowly 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
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 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.
Now usually, when we study End Times events, we go to the book of Revelation. However, Revelation does not focus on the Rapture, but it is referred to many times in Paul’s letters as you’ve just seen. Why do you think that is?
The word ekklesia...is nowhere found in Revelation from 3:14 to 22:16; rather, the general word hagios ("saint") is used to include the saved of all ages. This tends to support the concept that the church is raptured before events pictured beginning in chapter 4.
There appears to be a few references to the Rapture in Revelation when John is writing to the churches.
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
I believe in the pre-tribulation rapture because I hold to a literal interpretation of Scripture. While Revelation talks extensively about the Tribulation - God’s judgment on sinful mankind - it does not talk about the Rapture because all of the current believers will be gone before the Tribulation begins.
Paul often talked about the Rapture because he believed that it could happen in his lifetime.
I’d like you to see two points from 1 Thessalonians chapter four:
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The Rapture is a sure event - 1 Thess. 4:14, 16.
The Rapture is just as sure an event as the resurrection of Jesus Christ - 1 Thess. 4:14.
It is certain that this event will occur, though we don’t know when.
1 Thess. 4:16 - “shall descend”, “shall rise”
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Imminent: The Bible never indicates that any event or circumstance must happen before the rapture can take place.
This is the one event that we will be studying that could happen at any moment.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
James also indicated that Christ was coming was soon:
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
“I believe that every disciple in the New Testament was looking for Christ to come in his lifetime.” - Ron Comfort, Last Things, page 17
Paul and James were lead of God to write these things around 2000 years ago. They looked at the Rapture as something that was going to happen soon. Why write about the Rapture like its going to happen soon when God knew it wouldn’t happen for at least another 2000 years? Because God wants us to always be ready.
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The Rapture is a sudden event - 1 Thess. 4:16.
This verse seems to indicate that Christ will give a shout - meaning a shout like a military command. I don’t know what it will be. Maybe it will be a command to “come up!” We may not know what He will say, but we know that it will be sudden.
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.
Since the Rapture is sudden, what does a person have to do to be ready? Does it mean some of us could be left behind if we aren’t somehow prepared for the Rapture?
The Partial-Rapture view is that the rapture will be exclusively for those who are watching and waiting. In essence, it will be strictly for those who have reached a certain level of spiritual maturity. All others will be left behind. This suggests that the work of God towards the sinner is incomplete and that one has been neither fully reconciled to God nor completely redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul makes no exception or distinction based on one’s spiritual maturity. 1 Thess. 4:17.
Application:
Why is the Rapture important to us today? What should it cause us to do?
Preparation - 1 John 3:2-3.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Occupation - Romans 13:11-12.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Comfort - 1 Thessalonians 4:18.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Comfort during trials
Comfort during the passing of loved ones