We hope these exciting things we are going to be reading about will take place during our life time, but if not during our life time, we know they will take place in the life of some Believers who will be living on the earth.
Beloved, I am talking about the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH!
IS THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH SOMETHING WE CAN KNOW ABOUT?
The word of God states that it is. Look at 1 Thess. 4:13, we read, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”
Look at the word “Ignorant” this is the Greek word “agnoeo”, (pronounced as, ag-no-eh'-o) which means - not to know, through lack of information or intelligence.
God does not want us to be ignorant about the RAPTURE. He says in 1 Thess. 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Can we find comfort in something we do not even know anything about?
We can not, that is why God’s Word says, concerning the RAPTURE, “I would not have you to be ignorant brethren…”
As we look at THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, we need to be careful to distinguish between the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH and the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Some think they are the same, but THEY ARE NOT!
• THE RAPTURE – This is where Christ will descend to a point in the air and will call His Children to meet Him in the air. During the RAPTURE, He does not set foot on this earth.
• THE SECOND COMING of the Lord -- Here, the Lord will literally come all the way back to this earth.
These are two different events. In fact, they are separated by a seven year period known as the Tribulation period.
I. WHAT IS THE RAPTURE
Let’s look at some GENERAL THINGS about the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
A. WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE DEFINITION OF THE RAPTURE
Someone said, “The rapture is the state of being transported from one place to the other.” That is a good scriptural definition.
Look at 1 Thess. 4:15-18, we read, “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. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
B. WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHO WILL BE TRANSPORTED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER IN THE RAPTURE
The RAPTURE will affect two groups of people:
(1) THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST
When Christ raptures the church, the Bible tells us that the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Illus: (Humor) Someone said this means the Baptist will rise first because the Bible tells us the dead in Crist shall rise first.
Look at 1 Cor. 15:51-52, we read, “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 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.”
Notice, Paul says, “I show you a mystery”. I do not know how it is going to happen, nor does anyone else, all we know is that one day Christ is going to rapture the church, and the Bible says that all those who have died in Christ will be taken up and given their glorified bodies.
If as a child of God this evening, you die before the Lord RAPTURES THE CHURCH, you will be a part of that group that will be RESURRECTED FROM AMONG THE DEAD.
But if you are living when Christ comes back, and you are a child of God, you will experience-
(2) THE TRANSPORTING OF THE LIVING IN CHRIST
Look at the last part of verse 52 that speaks of the living, we read, “…and we shall be changed.”
HOW WILL WE BE CHANGED? Notice, two things:
a. WE SHALL BE CHANGED FROM MORTAL TO IMMORTAL
A transformation will take place and these mortal bodies will become glorified bodies.
Look at 1 Cor. 15:53, we read, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
b. WE SHALL BE CHANGED INSTANTLY
HOW FAST WILL WE BE CHANGED?
The Bible says in verse 52, “…In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” (This is eleven one-hundreth of a second)
Illus: Ladies, you take hours and hours to get ready to go somewhere, but when the rapture of the church takes place, you are going to experience the greatest and fastest change of your life. One moment you will be in this fleshly body that is cursed with sin, sickness, and aging, and all of a sudden you are going to be in your glorified bodies and look the best you ever looked.
IT IS ALL GOING TO TAKE PLACE, “…In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”
We have looked at WHAT THE RAPTURE IS, but let’s look also at-
II. WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE
When we think of the rapture, we have to understand that there will be many participants involved in the rapture. For example:
A. THE LORD IS GOING TO PARTICIPATE
Look at 1 Thess. 4:16, we read, “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.”
One day, God the Father is going to say to His beloved Son, “Go and get them!”
Now let me show you one of the myths today that is taught in many Bible-preaching churches.
Illus: Many believe that God is going to send Gabriel to rapture the church. That is, he will come with a horn, and when he blows his horn, that will be the time when God will rapture the church. But nowhere in the Bible does it talk about Gabriel doing such a thing.
The Bible says, “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.”
The rapture of the church is such an important thing to God, that God has entrusted that assignment to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
The first participant that we see in the rapture of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. But we see other participants…
B. THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL PARTICIPATE
These are the ones who died having placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Bible says the dead IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST.
Look at 1 Thess. 4:16, we read, “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.”
There are two things we need to consider about those who have died in the Lord.
(1) SOME TEACH THAT WHEN A BELIEVER DIES IN THE LORD, THEY GO INTO A DEEP SLEEP (This is called soul sleep)
What they fail to realize is that man is a “Triune Being.” He consists of BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT. When a man dies, the soul and spirit of man separate from the body.
Illus: For example, when we go to the funeral home, what we see is the body, but the soul and spirit of the Christian have gone to be with the Lord.
The Bible does not teach SOUL SLEEP, but it does teach that this body will return to the earth to await the resurrection, and remain in that state until the Lord comes back to rapture all those who have died in Christ. But the soul and spirit of man have gone to be with the Lord.
The Bible does not teach “Soul Sleep”.
(2) THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT WHEN A BELIEVER DIES, HE GOES TO BE WITH THE LORD
WHERE HAS THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF THE BELIEVER GONE?
God wants you to know. Look at 2 Cor. 5:8, we read, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Paul said we can be “confident” that when we, as a child of God, leave this life, we go to be with the Lord.
Let’s look at a few questions that we hear concerning the Rapture, such as:
a. HOW WILL THE RAPTURE TAKE PLACE?
Most artists depict the rapture as bodies that have been buried, but they burst forth from the grave like rockets headed for the sky. It could happened this way, but it does not have to happen this way.
You see, once we receive our glorified bodies at the rapture, we will have a body like Christ when He received His glorified body at the resurrection.
It could be that when the rapture takes place, the soil of the graves will not even be disturbed.
Another question we sometimes hear concerning the Rapture is-
b. HOW WILL GOD BE ABLE TO RESURRECT THESE BODIES?
With man that would be impossible, but with God it is no problem.
Illus: He spoke the world into existence. When He spoke, all the atoms and molecules had to comply with His command, and the world came into existence.
One day he is going to speak to the particles of man, and every particle will have to obey, and this old mortal body will turn into a glorified body.
For example:
• Maybe someone was cremated after they died
• Maybe a person was involved in an accident, and was blown to smithereens
• Maybe a child was aborted and thrown in a trash can
• Maybe a child of God was murdered, and no one knows where that body is, BUT GOD DOES!
When God the Creator speaks, every particle of man will have to fall into obedience to His command.
• The first participant in the rapture will be the Lord Jesus Christ
• The second group of participants in the rapture will be all those who have died in Christ
But there is a third group -
C. THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE AND ARE SAVED WILL PARTICIPATE
Look at 1 Thess 4:17, we read, “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.”
HOW WILL THIS TAKE PLACE?
The Word of God tells us how. Look at 1 Cor. 15:52, we read, “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.”
• The rapture is going to happen so fast, that before a person can take a breath it will be over with. (Eleven one-hundreth of a second)
• The rapture is going to happen so fast, that before a person can speak one word it will be over with
It is going to happen in the “Twinkling of an eye”. (Eleven one-hundreth of a second)
That is why, if you are lost, you need to accept the Lord, because when it happens you are not going to have time to get right with the Lord.
That is why, if you as a Christian have sin in your life, you need to ask God to forgive you, because when the rapture of the church takes place it is going to be so fast you will not have time to get right with the Lord.
• Christ will be the first participant
• All those who have died trusting Christ will be the second participants
• All those who are living who have trusted Christ for salvation will be the third participants
But I want to talk to you about one more group that will be participating in the rapture, and that is -
D. ALL THE BABIES, AND THOSE WITH MENTAL PROBLEMS WHO NEVER REACH THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
WHY DO WE MENTION BABIES AND MENTALLY RETARDED AS PARTICIPANTS?
There are some folks who believe that when a mentally retarded person or an infant dies, they go to hell because they never repented of their sins. But I believe it can be safely proven from the scriptures that this not the case.
The Bible reveals some mysterious things about babes in the wombs of their mothers.
• For example, John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb.
• We find that while Samuel was yet a babe, the Lord called him.
C. H. Spurgeon preached a sermon on Infant Salvation, and he gave several reasons why we believe that those who never reach accountability will participate in the rapture. The reasons he stated are as follows:
(1) THE NATURE OF GOD IS EVIDENCE THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE
Spurgeon said, “If we served a god called Moloch, if God were an arbitrary tyrant, without benevolence or grace, we could suppose some infants being cast into hell; but our God, who heareth the young ravens when they cry, certainly will find no delight in the shrieks and cries of infants cast away from his presence.”
A person who believes that God would send babies to hell at death, takes the attributes of GOD’S GOODNESS AND KINDNESS, and overlooks them.
There is no way God can claim to be a kind God, or a good God, and send a little baby, that has never knowingly committed one sin, to a devil’s hell.
THE NATURE OF GOD IS EVIDENCE THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE. He further stated -
(2) THE GRACE OF GOD IS EVIDENCE THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE
That is, the grace of God has sought out the vilest of sinners, that have committed some of the most horrible sins that have ever been committed, and forgiven them.
God could not be a gracious God and forgive them of the sins they knew they were doing, and cast a baby into hell, who never one time knowingly committed a sin.
The very NATURE OF GOD and the GRACE OF GOD certainly would make us believe that those who never reach accountability will participate in the rapture.
(3) GOD’S WORD IS EVIDENCE THAT THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE
Spurgeon said, “Now for one or two incidental matters which occur in Scripture, which seem to throw a little light also on the subject. You have not forgotten the case of David. His child by Bathsheba was to die as a punishment for the father's offense. David prayed, and fasted, and vexed his soul; at last they tell him the child is dead. He fasted no more, but he said, ‘I shall go to him, he shall not return to me.’ Now, where did David expect to go to? Why, to heaven surely. Then his child must have been there, for he said, ‘I shall go to him.’"
• “I do not hear him say the same of Absalom. He did not stand over his corpse, and say, ‘I shall go to him;’
• He had no hope for that rebellious son.
• Over this child it was not – ‘O my son! would to God I had died for thee!’
• No, he could let this babe go with perfect confidence, for he said, ‘I shall go to him.’"
God in His grace does not hold a child or a mentally retarded person guilty for knowledge of sin, because they have never had any knowledge of sin.
WHAT ABOUT THE HEATHEN?
They are adults that have a conscience. That conscience tells them there are some things that are right and there are some things that are wrong! And if they want to be saved, God will send a Christian or a missionary to them to tell them how to be saved.
In James, 4:17, we read, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
This verse makes it clear that God holds those who have knowledge of sin accountable, not those who have never reached the age of accountability.
When the rapture of the church takes place, all the infants and the mentally retarded will participate.
For example, suppose that before the rapture of the church, a little small baby is in his mother’s womb. This mother is not saved, but while she is carrying the baby, the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH TAKES PLACE, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THAT CHILD?
Instantly, that child will be snatched from that womb of that unsaved mother.
Now I am not implying that she will be ripped apart. But remember at the rapture, we all will receive a glorified body like Christ’s, and we can walk through doors like He walked through doors.
Illus: When the rapture takes place, this child will receive his glorified body at the same time as those outside of the womb. And this child will be able to pass through the walls of that mother’s womb as easily as Christ passed through doors with His glorified body.
III. WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE RAPTURE WILL BE
Everyone who has received the Lord Jesus Christ will be taken from the face of the earth. It does not matter what denomination they belong to, if they received Christ as their Savior, they are going to be snatched from the face of the earth.
When the rapture of the church takes place, ALL BELIEVERS WILL BE CAUGHT UP TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR.
Look at the RESULTS of the RAPTURE.
• Mothers who never held their babies in their arms before, are going to hold them, not as babes, but now as grown-ups
• Parents who had children that had mental problems and never were able to reach the age of accountability, will look their child in the face and not see one sign of any mental problems
• Children whose dads went off to war and died for their country, will no longer have to look at a picture on the dresser, but now will be able to see them for the first time in their lives
What a reunion that is going to be! THESE ARE THE RESULTS OF THE RAPTURE!
But let us look at one more thing before we close. Look at -
IV. WHEN THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE
There are many who differ about when the rapture will take place.
1. Post-Tribulation View - They believe we will be raptured after the tribulation period, when Christ comes back at the second coming
2. Mid-Tribulation View - They believe the rapture will take place in the middle of the tribulation period
3. Pre-Tribulation View - They believe the rapture will take place before the tribulation period
While I respect the opinion of people who hold to the Mid-Tribulation and Post-Tribulation views, I wholeheartedly disagree with what they teach.
The Bible clearly teaches a PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE. That is, He will come before the tribulation period begins.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT? Let me show you two things from the Scriptures.
(1) WE ARE NOT CHILDREN OF WRATH
WHAT IS THE TRIBULATION PERIOD? It is that special time when the Wrath of God will be poured out on the wicked.
God’s people are not going to experience the wrath of God.
• Look at Romans 5:9, we read, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
• Look at 1 Thess. 1:10, we read, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
• Look at 1 Thess 5:9, we read, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Another reason we believe in the Pre-tri vies is because Paul talks to the Thessalonian in I Thess. 4:13-18 Christian about the rapture and he tells them to COMFORT themselves in knowing the will not go through tribulation period.
Another reason we believe in the Pre-trib in the days of Lot. God would not send one brimstone until He removed Lot and his family.
And God will not send His wrath during the tribulation period when one child of His is here in this place.
But there is another reason we know that we will not go through the tribulation period. THE CHURCH IS NOT MENTIONED DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
The last time the church is mentioned is at the beginning of Revelation 4:1, where we read, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.”
The church is not mentioned again until we come to Revelation 19 and 20.
According to the sacred Word of God, we can safely say that we are not going to be here during the tribulation period.
Conclusion:
But if you are not saved you will be there!
But I can assure you, based on the Word of God, that no man or woman knows the time when Christ will come to rapture His church.
Look at Matt. 24:36-42, we read, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man. 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, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Only the Father in heaven knows the year, month, and the hour. Christ said of when the rapture is to take place, “…but my FATHER ONLY.”
One day very soon, He is going to give the Son of God the command, “Go and get them!” And that is what Christ is going to do, this is called the RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH!
1 Thess. 4:18, we read, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
I. WHAT IS THE RAPTURE
II. WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE RAPTURE
III. WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE RAPTURE WILL BE
IV. WHEN THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE
