The Rapture

The Rapture Some day all of God's people will be caught up from this earth! But not all people will go, only those ready through faith in Jesus. We call this event the "rapture" from the Latin word in verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 4. The Greek means to be snatched or caught away and implies suddenness. Listen to verses 13 through 18: Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. Note that it says that the Lord himself will come down. Jesus is coming again. There are two related events coming soon. The first is the rapture when Jesus comes to take His people to be with Him. Then there is the second coming when Jesus returns to the earth to judge mankind and to reign on the throne of David. There are various views on the timing of these two events. I share with many the view that seven years will separate them. In any case, we will not know the time of the rapture until it occurs, but it could be very soon. The rapture brings us victory over death. Our text tells us that the dead in Christ will be raised from the dead. At that instant, all believers, living and dead, will be changed. Listen to 1 Corinthians 15:50-53: I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. Dead Christians will be raised. All believers will be changed to have glorified bodies. We are now perishable, subject to processes leading to death. We are now mortal, subject to death. But this will be changed in an instant. We will all have immortal, imperishable resurrection bodies. This is the hope of all who trust in Jesus. But there is more than just this change in bodies. There is a greater change in our relationships. We will be caught up together as one people of God. We will be caught up to meet our Lord in the air, to see Jesus face to face. We will be caught up to be with Jesus forever. Jesus promised to come to take us all to heaven with Him in John 14:2, 3 where He said: In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. This is what the rapture is all about, going to be with Jesus forever, to live with Him forever. The teaching of the rapture is to be a comfort and encouragement for us. Our text in 1 Thessalonians ended with the words: Encourage each other with these words. Paul emphasized two ways the rapture should be a comforting hope. First, it comforts us in the face of death, of our loved ones or of ourselves. Loved ones who die in Christ are not lost. Death does not end our eternal hope in Christ. Death is not a personal failure. Death has been defeated. We will be reunited. Death cannot keep us from Jesus. This is encouragement and comfort. The rapture also gives us comfort concerning our standing before God. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul goes on the warn of coming judgment and destruction for those caught in the darkness of their sin. But those who know Jesus by faith are not in darkness nor in danger of God's wrath. Listen to verses 9-11: For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation though our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. The day of God's judgment is coming. His wrath will be poured out on sin and on all who have refused His gracious offer of salvation from our sin. The rapture will surprise those who are not ready. The rapture and the following judgment will come like a thief in the night for those living in the darkness of their sin. But those who have put their faith in Jesus as Savior live in the light. While we do not know when He is coming, we are looking for Jesus at any time. By the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to wait living lives of self-control, faith, love, and hope. So, we need not endure the coming wrath of God. Jesus died for us so that, whether we are still alive when he comes or not, we will go to live with Him by being raptured, caught up to Him, before God's wrath is poured out on all the earth. Are you ready for the rapture? If you have put your faith in Jesus and are living day by day by faith in Him, you are ready. But if you are refusing to trust your whole life to Jesus, you are in grave danger of God's wrath. We have all sinned. We have all earned His wrath. But Jesus has delivered all who have received Him by faith. Have you received Him? If you have not received Jesus but are ready to do so now, pray this prayer with me: Jesus, I am a sinner. I deserve the wrath of God. But I believe that you died on the cross to bear my sins and guilt. I choose to turn from my sinful ways to trust in you. I ask you to forgive me and change me. I receive your salvation as an undeserved gift. Thank you, Lord Jesus. If you prayed that prayer and meant it, please contact me so that I can assist you in living for Jesus. May God bless you richly as you look for His coming.