Come let us reason together ! When is the Rapture? There is a scripture in the Bible about which all saved Christians are excited, as well as those who think they are saved , but are not (as yet). This scripture is :- 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) 17 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. It is most commonly known as the “rapture”, but this word itself is not found in the Bible. Some meanings and synonyms are as follows : noun: a feeling of intense pleasure or joy. synonyms: ecstasy, bliss, euphoria, elation, exaltation, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, cloud nine, seventh heaven, transport, rhapsody, enchantment, delight, exhilaration, happiness, pleasure. Well , one can imagine why it is called this, when one sees from the scripture what actually happens at that time !! This only happens to true believers who have not experienced physical death at the time of the Rapture. The Bible tells us that the dead in Christ will rise first, and are immediately followed by the living in Christ. No wonder it is called “ The Rapture” One cannot imagine what it will really feel like when this happens. And yet , there is a puzzling, uncertain situation among Christians today about the actual timing of the Rapture, but it sure will be rapturous when it does happen. There are different ideas about the return of Christ, some being a-millennium, some pre-millennium and others post millennium. Is the bible unclear or obscure about this grand occasion? Any Christian looking forward to this event would surely like to understand when it will happen. Isn’t it when the new heavens and new earth will be brought about with no more tears to be found. A joyous, peaceful place, as opposed to the dying world of today. So does the Bible have anything to say about the timing of this event. It surely does. The timing of the rapture in relation to judgment day is found in the Bible, and is according to the sequence of events which relate to the return of Jesus. The Bible shows us that it will occur at the end of time. The rapture of believers will take place at the same time as Jesus comes to judge the world. i.e. when the world is beginning to collapse , and God is about to destroy this world we live in by fire and brimstone. If we look at it according to the Scriptures, the following is what will be found. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 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. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 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. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” This shows us that some will be receiving their immortal bodies before they die (fall asleep) and this event occurs “at the last trump” So if we allow the Bible to interpret the Bible, which is the correct way to do it, we find the following which relates to “the last trumpet,” and when it will sound. Revelation 11:15-18 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” When reading this, we realize that the following is about to become a reality, a. The judgement of the dead is about to begin b. The rewarding of the saints is about to begin c. The time of the destruction of the destroyers is about to take place. So, at the sounding of the 7th trumpet, judgement day occurs and all that goes with it, which also then must be the last trump i.e. the end of time ! Another Scripture can also be used to point to the rapture being at the last trump. Luke 17:28-37 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” This destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a type of judgement of the last day used by God. See v 30 in bold type. What happened to Lot’s wife then? She was being taken out of Sodom, but she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Maybe she still hankered after “the world / Sodom”? The parallel between the destruction of Sodom and the end of the world is evident. We are not to look back. Likewise today, the world is mostly populated with those who are altogether rebellious against God. The world’s cup of iniquity is full !! Now that the nations are ripe for judgement , God is going to pour out His wrath, but the righteous will be rescued, some just before the rapture occurs, but it will be at the end of time. Lets run toward the goal – time is tight !! And another Scripture which can help us see how close the rapture will be to the end of the world: Matthew 24:37-41Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” The coming of the Son of man is at the end of the world. Here Jesus compares the events of the flood with the events of the end of the world – it has parallel language again. This is also found in the following Scripture: 2 Peter 3:3-7Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “3 knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” God gave Noah the precise times and dates of the flood: See Genesis 7: 1-4 and Genesis 7 : 11 – 13. Remember what Luke 17:27 says – “ They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came , and destroyed them all” The whole world has been cursed by sin. Only the true believers, the chosen, the elect will miss this destruction when they are raptured. It would be a good point here to find out who the true believers actually are. Some of us might be unpleasantly surprised !! Yet another Scripture can point us to the timing of the rapture, but before adding it, let us return to the first passage here which tells about the rapture. Below is the full paragraph 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 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. 16 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: 17 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” So here we see that the rapture is at the same time as the resurrection of the bodies of the saints, dead and alive. “ Being absent from the body is being present with the Lord” 2 Corinthians 5:8 In John 6 , Jesus declares 4 times that the resurrection of believers’ bodies will occur on the last day; John 6:39-54 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” See the following, John 6 vv 39,40,44 and 54 from the above passage. The phrase” the last day” is significant here. Remember God chooses His words very carefully, and they mean what they are supposed to mean according to Him, and not in a twisted version as we would like to manipulate them to fit in with our skewed understanding. This phrase is found 8 times in the Bible – the four above and the following four Scriptures; 1. John 11:24 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Speaking about her brother Lazarus 2. John 12:48 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” 3. John 7:37 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” 4. Nehemiah 8:18 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.” In John 11.24 we can see that Martha understood exactly the truths of John 6, and from John 12: 48 we see this is when God expects the unsaved to give account of their sins, and so we can see that the resurrection of believers( rapture) is at the same time as judgement day. The end of the world !!! PS about the dead, let us read this: John 5:28-29 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) “28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Straight forward is it not?
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 15:38:39 +0000
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