The magnificence and majesty of Jesus’ love for us is powerfully manifested by the overwhelming truth of the coming Rapture. Jesus created us for His own good pleasure, according to His divine will. He breathed life into us so that we could love Him without being coerced to do so:
“Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
(Revelation 4:11)
“All things were created by Him and for Him.”
(Colossians 1:16)
From before the foundation of the universe, Jesus planned for our redemption and reconciliation through the horrid work of the Cross:
“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will.”
(Ephesians 1: 5)
Jesus knew that the overwhelming majority of humanity would ultimately reject Him. His gift of salvation is for all humanity. Yet, as God, He also knew which individuals would accept His gift of pardon. Our gift of free will enables us to accept or reject God’s saving grace.
When the unsaved billions throughout earth’s history stand before Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment, ready to be sentenced to the eternal lake of fire, many will “remind” Jesus that they never had an opportunity to learn about Him, or sin, or forgiveness, etc.
Jesus will similarly “remind” the doomed that they did, indeed, hear from Jesus at some point in their lives. The condemned will ultimately stand naked before their Creator and admit that they did, indeed, hear the Gospel truth but chose to ignore it. The following scriptures 108
provide proof of this ignored opportunity:
“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in
darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
(John 1: 4-5) Darkness = Strong’s Concordance # 4653. Greek Word: skotia.
Definition: Moral or spiritual depravity.
“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
(John 1: 9) Light = Strong’s Concordance # 5457. Greek Word: phos.
Definition: The Lord Jesus as the illuminator of men.
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power
and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
(Romans 1: 20) Excuse = Strong’s Concordance # 379. Greek Word: unapologetos.
Definition: Those who reject the revelation of God in creation.
These scriptures tell us that Jesus is the Light. Notice especially John 1:9. It states that Jesus “lighteth” every man that comes into the world. That means every person born has been shown the Light (knowledge about Jesus) at some point in their lives.
This scripture if far beyond my comprehension to explain. However, God wrote it; I cannot explain it; but I believe it. Jesus manifests Himself in some unknown fashion to every human being. At the Great White Throne Judgment, I believe that Jesus will provide each person with 109
instant recall of the moment Jesus reached out to them. Tragically, they will have to live with that memory for all eternity.
The verses in Romans 1: 20 are highly illustrative. Apparently, when the unsaved appear before Jesus at the Great White Throne Judgment, Jesus will enable them to understand that God is fully revealed in His total creation. He will tell them that they truly have no excuse for not seeing His love and power in His universe.
The word excuse, in the original Greek, means “those who reject the revelation of God in creation.” Their rejection has sealed their doom. I cannot prove this, but I believe that if a person acknowledges that there must indeed be a Creator of the earth and the universe, that God will create opportunities for that person to be saved through Jesus.
The Building Blocks of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture
God the Father wants to give His dear Son a Bride - us. We are even now making ourselves ready for our Bridegrooms’ arrival.
Deeply inherent within the glorious gift of the Rapture are specific foundations that provide the “steel” for the configuration of the Rapture. It is important for readers to understand the building blocks that our Lord has built into the Rapture.
Following are several of those building blocks that serve to support the reality of the rapidly approaching Rapture.
The Church and Christ’s Imminent Return
As I have repeatedly stated (and will continue to do so), all of Christ’s disciples were expecting the tribulation during their immediate lifetime after Jesus was crucified and ascended to heaven. The tribulation would be hoisted upon the Jews in judgment because of their 110
participation in crucifying Messiah Jesus.
At the conclusion of the tribulation, the disciples fully expected Jesus to return to set up His eternal kingdom. Simultaneously, Paul and his disciples were expecting the Rapture, as Paul describes in 1Thessalonians 4: 15-17:
“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord; that we (including Paul) which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (go ahead of) them which are asleep (dead). 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: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Notice that Paul included himself in the above scripture. Recall that the concept of the Rapture was initiated by Jesus through Paul. This proves that the Rapture was not “invented”
in the early 1800’s by John Darby, as many Christians believe. Nor is it attributable to the bizarre demonic vision of fifteen-year old Margaret McDonald, as some pastors and teachers proclaim.
The above scripture clearly displays the reality that Paul was expecting Jesus’ imminent return during his own lifetime. The Rapture’s origin was God’s eternity past.
I remind you again that our Lord Jesus Christ preached only to the nation of Israel, as did His disciples. No Rapture was ever mentioned, except as it was given to Paul.
Another scripture clearly shows us that Paul was expecting the Rapture at any time:
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
(1Thessalonians 5:9) 111
Once again, Paul included himself as not having to face God’s terrible wrath and judgment. 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-2 gives further assurance to the Bride of Christ:
“Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by
our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that day of Christ (Rapture) is at hand.”
These powerful words are God’s truth. I pity the advocates of the poisonous false gospels that are turning Christians away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ. They are all going to have to face Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ and give full account of their deceptions.
Let us pray that they will renounce their false gospels and truly find salvation through believing Paul’s Gospel. If we do not pray for the unsaved, no one will. We must be intercessors as we demonstrate our compassion to Almighty God.
Let us look at another underpinning of support confirmed by the Bible that helps to illuminate the nature of the pre-tribulation Rapture.
The Doctrine of the Restrainer - The Holy Spirit
The antichrist cannot make His appearance until God tells him to. Remember saints, it is Almighty God who is in total control. When exactly will the antichrist enter history?
When the final Christian is saved and written into the Book of Life; when God Raptures the “Holy Spirit filled” Bride of Christ.
Since the power of Holy Spirit indwells every true Christian, let us study what 2 Thessalonians 2: 6-8 tells us about the departure of Christians at the Rapture: 112
“And now ye know what withhold that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he (the specific restraining ministry of Holy Spirit) be taken out of the way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”
This scripture tells us that God is not allowing satan to be manifested until the “Restrainer”
is taken “out of the way.” The power of the Holy Spirit is the restrainer which indwells the temple of each Christian. The power of the Holy Spirit lives in each child of God; therefore, the
“brakes” that held satan in place are gone at the Rapture.
At the very moment of the Rapture, God’s plans for the tribulation begin to unfold.
Although Christians will be with Jesus, the Holy Spirit remains. The Holy Spirit is omniscient and ever present. He cannot be removed from the earth. What is removed is the Holy Spirit’s “ministry as the Restrainer.”
The Doctrine of the True Church vs. the False Professing Church You may be scratching your head when I tell you that the Church will be in the tribulation.
It is this point that confounds many Christians. They hear that the church will indeed go through the seventieth week of Daniel. However, it is the false professing church, the Laodicean Church of Revelation 3, that must face the tribulation.
If the reader is not familiar with the seven letters written by John to the seven Churches in Asia (Turkey), I would advise you to stop a moment an open your Bible to Revelation 3 and study what the Laodicean letter contains.
Jesus, through His servant John, wanted these particular seven churches (there were many 113
more) to receive a holy update of each particular Church’s spiritual strength and quality.
Although these seven letters were pertinent to the individual churches for which the letters were written, they are also important for our Churches today.
The prominent view among true Spirit-filled theologians is that these letters provide a successive preview of the history of each Church from the first century A.D. to our present era.
Permit me to provide you with a brief sketch of each of the seven Churches: Ephesus: The Church at Ephesus during the first century was generally laudable, however, Jesus condemned them for having lost their first love, in that it had lost their close relationship with Him.
Smyrna: This Church extended from the first to the fourth century. It was the victim of brutal persecution suffered under the Imperial Roman emperors.
Pergamos: The historical time frame for this Church would be placed in the fourth and fifth centuries. Emperor Constantine established Christianity as the representative religion. The Dark ages found its starting point during these early centuries.
Thyatira: The Church period for Thyatira is found from the sixth century until the fifteenth century. During this time period, the Roman Catholic Church was prominent in the Western Christian Churches. Its dominance was reduced when the Reformation began.
Sardis: The post-reformation era of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the gradual decreasing of the powerful changes made during the Reformation.
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Philadelphia: The growth of missionary activities during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries opened the door for peoples throughout the world to hear the word about Jesus Christ and hence, receive salvation.
Laodicea: Apostasy and “lukewarm” are apt descriptions of the spiritual condition of many of our Churches during these end times. This Church espouses a non-Biblical liberalism and will become a part of the worldwide religious system under the antichrist.
There were only two Churches that were not chastised by Jesus in His letters - Smyrna and Philadelphia. Let’s take a hard look as to why the church at Laodicea was particularly abhorrent to God:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spue thee out of my mouth. ”
(Revelation 3: 15-16) Are you able to discern how many of today’s Churches mirror the Laodicean Church?
The above referenced Laodicean church is truly the “end time” church. Most of our Churches have stopped preaching the blood of Christ. Few talk about sin, prophecy, heaven and hell. Most are not familiar with the true Gospel found in Paul’s epistles.
Many Churches have lost their first Love, having compromised themselves into creating entertainment centers that sponsor “Sunday morning coffee cafes” where these beverages are brought into the sanctuary.
Teenagers, barefoot and wearing ripped jeans, are “all the rage,” these days. Christian rap and 115
Christian rock mimic the world. Many churches bring Halloween into the church. Prophecy is ignored, although one fourth of the Bible is prophetic. Women are now proudly displaying “cute little tattoos” on their shoulders, backs, ankles, feet, and wrists.
Dramatic “plays” have replaced sermons. Shorts, sandals, sneakers, inappropriate dress, is rampant. Mega Churches featuring feel good, seeker-friendly, positive thinking, are on the move.
Motorcycles are brought into the pulpit for “illustrative” purposes. Antique car shows fill the parking lots of many of our Churches.
Where is the holiness? What happened to humility? What happened to showing our precious Lord our total respect and love? Observe this stark declaration:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.“
(Matthew 7: 13-14)
This very sobering scripture tells us that only a “few” will enter in at the strait gate. On the day when Jesus receives us in the Rapture, there will sadly be myriads of “Christians” left behind if they fail to embrace Jesus’ Gospel of Grace.
Many who thought they were saved because they joined a Church, or believed in Jesus but not His resurrection, or were baptized, or spoke in tongues, or faithfully tithed their money, or who thought they were just “good people,” will be dreadfully forced into the tribulation.
However, the Philadelphia Church comprises the “few” who will enter the strait gate. It 116
is the Church of Philadelphia where the Bride of Christ now finds itself in the loving graces of God. We are the Philadelphia Church, as found in Revelation 3: 10-12:
“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. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”
The Philadelphia Church will be Raptured. God is pleased that we have hopefully kept the word of His patience and have followed Jesus Christ and committed our lives to Him. We have only a short while, beloved. Stay strong and remain overcomers.
The Doctrine of Differences in the Timing of the Rapture and the Second Coming It is important once again to emphasize the great need not to confuse the timing of the Rapture and the second coming of Christ. Many Christians remain unclear about the timing of the Rapture. The advocates of the post-tribulation Rapture compress the Rapture and Christ’s second coming together in one lump.
Those who believe in the Preterist viewpoint state that there is no Rapture. These cultists look for the second coming of Jesus minus the Rapture. Both of these positions are totally unbiblical and deceitful.
Allow me to present scriptural truths that detail the differences between the Rapture 117
and the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth:
THE RAPTURE
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again (Paul’s gospel), so them also which sleep (the dead) in Jesus will God bring with him. 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 (go ahead of) them which are asleep.
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. 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.”
(1 Thessalonians 4: 14-17) THE SECOND COMING
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it to the south.”
(Zechariah 14: 4)
One can certainly see the differences between these two future events. In the Rapture, we rise to meet Jesus in the atmosphere above earth. In the second coming, we leave heaven and come back to earth with Jesus.
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Despite the truths that the Bible states about the Rapture, the false gospels of the post-tribbers and preterists, and others, have blinded their followers to the true word of God. They remain in their confusion while attempting to seduce fragile Christians into accepting their lies.
Pray for them, dear readers. Intercede for them in prayer as you enter the throne room of God to plead mercy for these lost souls who were seduced by satan. Pray for God to reach out to them and release them from their blindness and their spiritual darkness.
The Doctrine of the 144,000 Jewish Evangelists
As was mentioned earlier, after the Rapture of the Church, God raises up a remnant of Jewish male virgins for the purpose of traversing the world as witnesses for the future earthly Kingdom of God.
We see in Revelation 7: 3-4 how these servants of God are sealed:
“…hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I (John) heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
These Jewish evangelists are further proof that the Rapture has occurred because they are taking over the evangelistic ministry formerly held by the Church. God is once again focused upon the Nation of Israel after the Body of Christ has risen to meet Jesus in the air. Permit me to again remind you of the false gospel of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They claim to be the 144,000 of Revelation Seven. Many untutored Christians have no solid foundation in Biblical doctrine upon which to stand when spiritual assaults of this kind enter our minds. Be alert, study your Bible, and pray for God’s protection and guidance.
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The Doctrine of the Twenty-Four Elders
As John was writing the book of Revelation, God gave him a heavenly vision whereby he saw twenty-four elders seated on thrones, wearing white robes and crowns in Revelation 4:4:
“And round about the throne (God’s throne) were four and twenty seats; (thrones) and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”
Bible scholars differ widely as to the true identity of the elders. I am presenting my own interpretation of what this “sticky” verse states. I‘m not saying I‘m correct, but I’d advise you to do your own research and come up with your own conclusion.
However, if a serious study on this fascinating heavenly scene is conducted, I believe that scripture clearly states that the elders are representatives of the Church - the Bride of Christ.
Elders, according to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, were political officers among the Hebrews.
Moses adopted the idea and regulated its use by laws. Their authority was almost unlimited, to be carefully employed within their law and customs. An excellent example of their power and influence is found in Joshua 9:18:
“And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes (elders) of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.”
Why twenty-four elders? This was the number of choruses by which the priests from the tribe of Levy were organized and divided. For a detailed description of these specific divisions, study 1 Chronicles 21: 1-19.
The elders became judges or magistrates in Canaan, in the local towns, sitting in the 120
gates. God had created the office of the elders as a mechanism to bring order to the vast numbers of Israelites held in bondage in Egypt. (5)
The following scripture provides an indication of how important the elders were to God.
In this scripture, Exodus 3: 16, God is talking with Moses:
“Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.”
The significance of the elders as seen in John’s vision is vital if one is to understand the Rapture. The elders are representatives of the Bride of Christ. They sit before God the Father and our Lord Jesus as our holy proxies.
Many Bible scholars state that the twenty-four elders are composed of twelve members of the Bride of Christ and twelve from the Old Testament. But, in my opinion, this is impossible, as you wil