RAPTURE. The term commonly used for the catching away of the saints described in 1 Th. 4:13-18. This Rapture is (1) a resurrection of the dead in Christ (v. 14-16), (2) a catching up and translation of the living N.T. saints (v. 17). The term caught up in 1 Th. 4:17 is also translated pluck (Jn. 10:28), pulling [out of the fire] (Jude 23), and take by force (Ac. 23:10). It refers to a forceful seizing and a snatching away. It is used of the devil snatching the word of God from the heart of the foolish (Mt. 13:19) and of the Spirit of God snatching away Philip after the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Ac. 8:39). This is exactly what Christ will do to the N.T. believers before the onslaught of the Great Tribulation. This event is also described in 1 Co. 15:51-58. Here we see that the translation of the N.T. saints will involve an instantaneous change from morality to immortality. Those believers living at that hour will never see death (v. 51). In both of these key passages the translation of the church-age saints is said to be a source of great comfort and encouragement (1 Th. 4:18; 1 Co. 15:58). If this translation did not occur until the end of the torments of the Great Tribulation, it certainly would not produce solace for the Christian standing on this side of the Tribulation! Among those who believe in a literal Rapture of the church-age saints, there are basically three positions regarding the time of the Rapture. All of these pertain to the timing of the Rapture in relation to the Great Tribulation. The three views are Pre-tribulational, Mid-tribulational (also called Pre-wrath Rapture), and Post-tribulational. The evidence for the Pre-tribulation Rapture. For the following reasons we are convinced the Bible teaches a Pre-tribulational Rapture. In the following study we are using the term church in a general, institutional sense: 1. CHURCH-AGE BELIEVERS ARE PROMISED SALVATION FROM WRATH (1 Th. 1:9-10; 5:1-9; Ro. 5:9; Re. 3:10). The Great Tribulation is expressly called the day of Gods wrath. Today the Lord is withholding His anger; He is seated upon a throne of grace, but the day approaches when He will take the seat of judgment. Then the day of his wrath will be upon all the world (Ps. 110:5; Re. 6:17; Is. 13:6-13). It is true that in every century the churches have been subjected to persecution, but this is quite different from the Great Tribulation. The general persecutions of the saints are caused by the wrath of wicked men and the devil, whereas the seven-year Tribulation is a period especially pertaining to Gods wrath (Is. 13; Re. 6:16,17; 14:16). Some feel that the church will not be saved out from the time of great wrath, but will be saved through this wrath. This cannot be true, since the Bible clearly reveals that those who are on earth during the Great Tribulation will not be delivered from wrath but will be overcome (Re. 13:7). The Scriptures which promise church-age believers deliverance from wrath must refer to salvation out from the very presence of the wrath. Concerning the Great Tribulation, we are told that as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth (Lk. 21:35). Therefore, the church-age believers must either be physically removed from the earth, or they will be involved in the day of wrath. God promises removal. ... 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 (Re. 3:10). 2. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO BE REMOVED BEFORE THE TRIBULATION (2 Th. 2:1-8). In other passages of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is said to be the restrainer of sin (Ge. 6:3; Is. 59:19). The Holy Spirit came into the world in His present special dispensation at Pentecost (Ac. 2), when He came to empower the church for the Great Commission (Ac. 1:8). He will remove the church-age believers prior to the time of Gods great wrath. 3. IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THE CHURCH IS NOT SEEN ON EARTH AFTER CHAPTER THREE UNTIL CHAPTER NINETEEN, when she is seen returning to earth with Christ. The churches are repeatedly mentioned in Revelation one through three, then disappears until the end of the book, but the true church is not the focus on the Great Tribulation recorded in Re. 4-18. 4. THE CHURCH-AGE BELIEVERS ARE PROMISED MANSIONS IN HEAVEN (Jn. 14:1-3). When the Lord Jesus returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, He sets up His Messianic kingdom. If the Rapture occurred at the end of the Tribulation, the promise to church-age believers pertaining to Heaven would not be fulfilled. Church-age believers are a heavenly people with a heavenly hope (Ep. 1; Ph. 3:20; Col. 3:1-3). 5. THE TRANSLATION OF CHURCH-AGE SAINTS IS SAID TO BE IMMINENT (it could happen any moment), whereas the Second Coming is said to be preceded by specific signs (1 Th. 1:9,10; Tit. 2:12,13; Mt. 24:42-44; Jam. 5:8,9; 1 Jn. 2:28; Re. 1:3). The Apostle Paul instructed the church at Thessalonica that they did not need to heed signs and times, because the N.T. believer has been promised redemption from the day of darkness which shall overcome the whole world (1 Th. 5:1-9). The church is waiting, not for the appearing of the Antichrist, but for the redemption of the Son of God. 6. THE CHURCH IS A MYSTERY UNREVEALED IN THE O.T. (Ep. 3:1-11). The N.T. church has no part in the chronology of events foretold by the O.T. prophets. They clearly foretold the first coming of Christ, His miraculous birth, life, death, and resurrection. The same prophets described Christs Second Coming in glory, preceded by a time of unprecedented worldwide tribulation, followed by the glorious Messianic kingdom centered in Jerusalem. These prophets did not see the present church age--which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Between the first coming of Christ and the Second Coming there is a time gap which was unrevealed in the O.T. times. This gap is the time of the creation and removal of the church. For centuries God has revealed big plans for the nation Israel. O.T. prophecy pictures Israel at the heart of a worldwide kingdom with Israels divine Messiah as the sovereign ruler. This kingdom, when established, will be eternal, yet Israel today has been temporarily set aside; these O.T. prophecies have never been fulfilled. Rather, today God is doing something different from anything which was spoken of in O.T. times. He is calling out from among all nations a special body of people. When He has accomplished this present purpose, when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, God will restart Israels prophetic clock and will wholly fulfill all O.T. prophecies in relation to His ancient chosen nation. ... blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Ro. 11:25). The Great Tribulation deals with Israel, not with the church-age believers. This present mystery period will end with the removal of the church-age believers from the earth; and the Lord will then take up His plan for the nation Israel as He fulfills the O.T. prophecies of the time of Jacobs trouble, the coming of Messiah in glory, and the establishment of the Messianic kingdom. 7. THE CHURCH CANNOT BE OVERCOME, BUT THE SAINTS OF THE TRIBULATION WILL BE (compare Mt. 16:9 with Re. 13:7). 8. THERE ARE EVENTS INTERVENING BETWEEN THE TRANSLATION AND RESURRECTION OF THE CHURCH AND THE SECOND ADVENT. According to 1 Co. 15:51, EVERY saved person will be translated at the Rapture. Yet Mt. 25:31-46 shows that when Jesus returns to the earth at the Second Advent He will find many true believers in their natural bodies. There must, then, be a period of time between the Rapture of the church-age saints and the Second Coming to allow for these folk to be saved. It is reasonable to believe that this period of time is the seven years of the Great Tribulation. 9. THE BOOK OF REVELATION REVEALS THAT THE CHURCH IS NOT ON EARTH DURING THE TRIBULATION. (1) The church is not seen on earth in chapters 4-18. (2) The 24 elders seem to represent the church. [See Elders.] (3) The witness for God in the earth during the Tribulation is Israel, not the church (Re. 7). (4) The prayers of the saints in Re. 8 are prayers for judgment. Only Israel prayed such prayers. The church-age saints are instructed to pray for her enemies, not against them. These prayers of Revelation are those of the Psalms and are based on Gods promise to Abraham to curse those who cursed Israel. (5) The scorpion-like creatures of Re. 9 are given freedom to hurt all earth-dwellers except those Jews who were sealed by the angel of Re. 7; if church believers were on earth, they would be subject to this horrible judgment of God. (6) Re. 10 identifies the events of Re. 4-18 with those foretold by O.T. prophets--the days of the Great Tribulation, the day of the Lord. The church age was never in the view of these O.T. prophecies; it was an unrevealed mystery. The church has a different purpose and program than national Israel. It is Israel that is in view in O.T. prophecy and in Revelation 4-18. (7) The ministry of the two witnesses of Re. 11 identifies them with national Israel and with O.T. prophecies of the day of the Lord. The two witnesses minister from Jerusalem, Israels capital. The churches have no such capital, her hope being heavenly, not earthly (Col. 3; Ph. 2). The two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, typical of O.T. Israel, not N.T. believers. Nowhere are the churches seen in sackcloth. They are told, rather, to rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice (Ph. 4:4). The church-age believers judgment is forever past, and he is to keep his mind centered in the heavenlies where, in position, he is seated eternally victorious with Christ (Ep. 2:5-10). Re. 11:4 identifies the two witnesses with O.T. prophecy. Zec. 4:3,11,14 is a prophecy of Israel, not the church. Further, the two witnesses call down judgment upon their enemies in Re. 10:5,6. Jesus rebuked his disciples for desiring to do just this and instructed the church-age believer to pray for the well-being of his enemies, not for their destruction (Lk. 9:54-56; Ro. 12:14,17-21). (8) The devil persecutes Israel, not the church, during the Tribulation (Re. 12). There can be no doubt that the woman is identified as national Israel. Verse 5 shows the woman bringing forth Christ; it is obvious that Jesus was brought forth by Israel, not by the churches (Is. 9:6,7; Ro. 9:5). Also, the symbols of Re. 12:1,2 recall familiar O.T. typology of Israel. She is referred to as a woman (Is. 54:5-7). The sun and moon and the 12 stars of v. 2 remind us of Josephs dream regarding Israel (Ge. 37:9). The words of Re. 12:2 are almost an exact quote from Mi. 5:3, again referencing Israels delivery of the Messiah. These symbols are not used in the N.T. of the churches.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 05:21:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015