Rapture:
An Out of This World
Doctrine
As long as God allows me to continue to breathe his air, and
to live in this world, dwelling in this very temporary body, I will never cease
to be amazed that God has not only created us, loved us, sent his Son to die
for us, and saves us, even when we were in rebellion to his will. But most of
all, I will never cease to be amazed at the Word of God that he gave us to
understand, first of all who he is, then to show us the unfolding of his plan
for mankind. Most importantly, to reveal his will to us. But all that said, as
I continue to read and study this Bible that contains sixty-six books,
thirty-nine in a volume called the “Old Testament” and twenty-seven books in a
volume called the “New Testament”, that from start to finish, there is this
unfolding revelation of all these things, the revealing of himself, his plan,
and his will for mankind. I cannot understand how the majesty of this book is
not revered by each and every Christian that has been saved by his grace, which
was a response to hearing the words from this very book. Paul describes the
Word of God as “Living and Powerful” Hebrews 4:12, and yes it is.
As a Christian, we hear about the Rapture, and look at this
doctrine as our hope. This hope is what helps us to get through the hard times
this old world brings in our life. Just to know that there is something better
waiting for us when we leave this world. But when it comes to the subject of
the Rapture, which means the snatching up into the air every living Christian
at the time Christ returns to call us home to heaven, it can seem a bit unreal
to a world of logical thinking people, and rather just an escape from reality
to those who believe it. But a careful study of the Old and New Testament will
help us to fully understand that this doctrine of the Rapture is not only true,
but is a major part of God’s plan for mankind.
Let us start with the first volume of this great book we
call the Bible, thirty-nine books in all, and most of it is prophetic in
nature, yet there is not one word about the Rapture. That is almost enough to
cast doubt on this whole subject. A careful study of the Bible shows us that the
Old Testament begins to reveal our creator to us. To show us his plan for his
creation, this plan is revealed in stages. Also, he reveals his will for man. We
will focus on his plan for man in this study.
God’s plan for
mankind revealed
God’s plan for man starts with his goal for man enacted, and
ends with the goal in place. What I mean is that when man was created, he was
placed in a garden, paradise if you will. Man was in a perfect place, in life
and in relationship with his creator. Sin disrupted this goal for man, and God
reveals throughout the scriptures how he will bring man back into that place of
relationship, and paradise. The Old Testament starts with one man, Abraham. We
see his family grown to a nation that is numbered as the sand of the sea. Sadly
enough, our creator selected this nation to be his people, and as his plan
unfolded, it appears that this plan included Israel, and excluded everybody
else. One of the biggest mistakes in studying God’s word that Christians make,
is when we try to apply to the Church Old Testament truths and promises that
really only apply to the nation of Israel.
Now, that being said, the Old Testament shows us God’s plan
unfold and dealing with one nation, he then reveals to them his plan of salvation
from sin. Interestingly enough, this plan of salvation includes all mankind,
but only as an overflow from its intended beneficiary, who is the nation of
Israel. The plan for God saving man from sin is revealed in the advent of a
savior. What confused the saints of the Old Testament, as well as the religious
leaders in the New Testament, and even some Christians today is that the advent
of God’s savior is revealed in two advents of this same savior.
Two Advents of
Messiah (Christ)
In the Old Testament, the writers of the books, especially
the Prophets spoke of this Messiah in two views, one of his coming in power and
great glory and restoring the glory of the nation, and the other in suffering
and humility. The readers of the scriptures were confused and they blurred the
two as one, not distinguishing them as two different advents. Theologians refer
to these writings as two peaks, the one being the first coming of Christ, the
second peak as his return to earth to destroy those that refuse God, and then
to set up the millennium kingdom. The Jewish people of Christ’s day were confused
at the first advent, ignoring the parts concerning Christ’s suffering, and only
looking for the King. It is why they rejected the Lord, and pushed for him to
be crucified him on the Cross.
It is interesting that his second advent will be with great
fan fair, earthquakes, hail fire and brimstones falling on the earth,
lightening seen from one end of the earth to the other, and then the Son Of God
descending in the sky on a white horse, and all his saints with him on white
horses. Now his first advent may not have come in with such a bang, but it was
with quite the fan fair. There were angels in glory singing praises to God
because God had entered this world as a human being, a little baby nonetheless.
He has a bright star that was seen clear across the world, and was followed by
great men just to see the coming king into this world.
Two Peaks and its
Valley
Now, back to the two peaks, but more importantly, the valley
in between. This may seem to some as imagined theology, but there are New
Testament scriptures to substantiate its truth. But the valley is commonly seen
as a period of time that is not recorded in Old Testament prophecy, an “Age of
Grace” if you will. Old Testament prophecy is very specific in terms of the
time that God would send his Son into this world, also when he would send him
back in what we are calling his second advent. Reading the writings of Jeremiah
the entire period of time is specified in years, and broken up into 70 periods
of 7 years, while in Daniel’s writings, the actual days are specified
concerning the Lord’s return. You can read the words of our Lord in Luke’s
gospel, 19:32-44 that on the day that he presented himself as the King, he
said, “had you known at least in This Thy Day” It was the day Daniel prophesied
in his book, of when he would present the King to the Nation. So studying
prophecy can be confusing, as we see that both of these prophecies were spoken of
as one, and not clearly defined until that day when he rode into the city, and
was rejected by the nation. Now, where most teachers of scriptures disagree, is
concerning the valley. Among most evangelicals, and especially conservative
believers, the valley is a period of time that was not seen in the Old
Testament, and began shortly after the first advent of the Lord, and will
conclude shortly before the second. We need to grasp how this is distinguished
in the prophecies concerning this period of time. When looking at the prophecy
of Jeremiah and the seventy weeks (70 – 7 Year periods of time) we see that the
last week has not yet happened. There are very specific things that have
happened, and account for the four hundred and eighty three years (The first 69
weeks) and specific things yet to happen. This last week is referred to as the
seventieth week, and as the time of Jacobs trouble (again remember all of the
Old Testament is concerning the nation of Israel), but in the New Testament, this
last week is referred to as the Tribulation.
So it seems that one day in the history of Israel, which was
after the first advent of the Messiah, which includes his death, his
resurrection, and his ascension, then after Pentecost the prophetic clock of
God concerning Israel stopped. There are specific things concerning that last
week that have yet to happen, that we see spoken in those Old Testament
prophesies. Also in the New Testament spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew
24-25. So a good question in this prophetic study would be, what about all this
time between Pentecost and Now? That time, as we have said, is often referred
to as the “Age of Grace” and it is called that because we see God’s grace now
reaching out to all mankind with the good news of salvation, much different
than the physical deliverance that the nation of Israel is looking for, where
the Messiah will return to this earth, and establish his kingdom, and Israel
will be the head once again. No, the age of grace is a period of time, the
duration of which is not determined, where a man, woman, boy or girl, can hear
the gospel, how that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on Calvary’s cross,
paid for our sin, and after he died on that cross rose from the dead, if any
human soul hears and believes, will be saved eternally from the penalty of sin.
Not only saved from sin, but made a child of God. Not only that, but indwelled
by God’s Holy Spirit forever. Every believer that has been saved is part of
God’s body, called his Church. Ephesians
1:1-14. Paul later states in this wonderful book that this work of God that we
see in this age, was not known in the Old Testament, it was a mystery.
Ephesians 3:1-10.
It would not be hard at this point to use human logic to see
that as long as we are in this age of grace, and people have the opportunity to
hear and believe the gospel, that the last week of Jeremiah’s prophecy will not
start to play out in this world. But as God would have it, he did not leave us
to human logic, he let Paul explain this very clearly in the second letter he
wrote to the Thessalonians, in chapter 2 verses 1-12. Read this in any English
version of the bible, or any language, or if you can read it in the Greek it
will say the same thing. Something is hindering the revealing of the man of sin
(the anti-christ), and the start of that last week of prophecy. That something
that hinders is the Holy Spirits presence in this world. It will not be until
he (the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way, that these last things will take
place. The Holy Spirit is here in this world in the Church, his body. All
believers. The rapture will remove the Church, thus removing the Holy Spirit.
As to the rapture, it is the only thing a Christian needs to
look for, it will happen before God’s prophetic clock will start again. Paul
makes it very plain in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Where he describes exactly what
happens in the catching up of believers that are alive in Christ, and with them
the believers that have already died in Christ. Then in 1 Corinthians 15 he
gives the mechanics of the rapture, of what will happen to our bodies. Lastly,
John records for us in revelation chapter 4 verse 1 this very event called the
rapture as it happens in the very near future. He describes all the things we
will see when we get there, so much beauty, but most importantly, we will see
the Lamb who died for us. The John begins to describe that last week (the
Tribulation) in chapter 6 through chapter 19. God’s plan for man is wonderful.
I didn’t know I was a created being with a purpose. I thought I was my own man.
God revealed himself to me in the gospel, and he saved me. He gave me this
great hope. Now I can’t wait to see my savior. I long to see all of his
creation, but to see him, what a wonder it will be.
Look up, your redemption draws near!
