The Major Bible Passages On The Rapture Of The Church

Introduction:

    In the last post, I introduced what is known as "the doctrine of the rapture", or what is sometimes called "The Lord's return for His Church". For readers interested in the last post, simply click on the following link here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2023/03/introducing-christs-return-for-his.html.

    In today's post I want to lay out the major passages in the New Testament that touch upon this doctrine. At this point I'm not going to expound on where the rapture fits in relationship to other future events. Such considerations have their place and importance. Instead, it is vital that we first have all the Biblical data, considered in each passage's context.

    The overwhelming themes of the New Testament's teaching on the rapture of the church is three-fold: comfort, hope, and expectation. On several occasions we find the theme of comfort in passages that teach about the rapture of the church (see for instance 1 Thessalonians 4:18). We can also reference the theme of hope, that is, hope in the Lord Jesus Christ for those who are living day by day in light of His soon return (see Titus 2:13 for example). Then thirdly, the theme of expectation resonates through the texts below, since the rapture is an "imminent" future event, that is, it could happen at any time with no preceeding signs heralding its arrival (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

    The passages below are culled from studies, various Bible teachers, and books I've read over the years. It is hoped that in assembling these texts, fruitful study on this vital truth can be done by those so interested.

Main Testament passages that refer to the rapture of the church.

1. John 14:1-3 - “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

2. 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 "so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

3. 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 "Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

4. Philippians 1:6 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

5. Philippians 1:10 "so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ."

6. Philippians 2:16 "holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain."

7. Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

8. Colossians 3:4 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ".

9. 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 "For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come."

10. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words."

11. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 "Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ".

12. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way."

13. 1 Timothy 6:14 "that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ".

14. Titus 2:13 "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus".

15. Hebrews 10:37 "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay."

16. James 5:8 "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay."

17. 1 John 2:28-3:3 "Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

18. (Possible passage about the rapture) Revelation 3:10 "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

Passages that can illustrate what the rapture is like.

1. Genesis 5:24 "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

2. 2 Kings 2:9-12 "When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces."

3. Acts 1:11 "They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

4. Acts 8:39 "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing."

5. Revelation 12:5 "And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne."

Introducing Christ’s return for His Church in the rapture

Introduction:

    In today's post I want to introduce readers to an important truth that is part of the "study of last things" or "eschatology". This important truth, known as "The Rapture of the Church", is the next major prophetic event that will involve a mass miracle performed by the Lord Jesus when He comes for His Church. 

A summary of the rapture.

    In offering a definition of "the rapture", we could say the following:

    The rapture is a predicted event, of unknown date, in which Jesus will appear in the clouds to resurrect dead Christians and transform the bodies of living Christians to catch them up to Himself.

    So why this strange term "rapture"?  Theologian Wayne Grudem notes that the term “rapture” comes from a Latin term “rapio”, which is used in the Latin Vulgate’s translation of the phrase "will be caught up" 1 Thessalonians 4:17. As with most theological terms, the term derives from the Latin due to Latin's influence upon the work of theology. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Paul writes the following words:

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”

    The rapture of the church, then, is when the Lord Jesus will appear in the clouds to "catch away" or "take-up", in resurrection, all Christians who deceased, and to "catch away" or "take up" in transformed bodies those Christians who are currently alive. 

    Older writers used the term "translate" to describe this same event. Incidently, the term "translate" derives from another Latin term which refers to "carrying from one place to another". The rapture of the Church is that very event in which the Lord Jesus will come in the clouds and transport Christians from earth to Himself.  In sum, to say: "rapture" then, is equivalent to stating: "to catch away".

    Jesus was the first one to mention this important doctrine in the Bible. In John 14:1-3, He speaks the following words to His disciples:

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

    Although Jesus used a different verb than the one we find in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, the idea of receiving those who trust in Him as Savior unto Himself conveys this blessed truth known as "The Rapture of the Church".

Basic outline of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and its teaching on the rapture.

    We could turn to several New Testament passages that teach on this doctrine, however we will confine ourselves to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, since it gives a wonderful summary of the Lord's return for His church.

1. Comfort from the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13,18

    The key feature of the doctrine of the rapture of the church is the comfort it conveys to the Christian. Paul writes these words in 1 Thessalonians 4:13

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope."

    As Paul begins this section, he ends with the same tone of comfort in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 - "Therefore comfort one another with these words."

    What is remarkable to consider about other New Testament texts that teach on the rapture is how often they refer to some sort of comfort afforded by the doctrine. Note the following passages of the Scripture.

A. Comfort in loss.

    We read Jesus' words to His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion in John 14:1-3 

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

B. Comfort when laboring for the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.

C. Comfort for daily living.

    Paul writes in Philippians 3:20-4:1 

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved." 

    We can note also 2 Thessalonians 2:2, which alludes to the rapture: "that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come."

    We are living in a world that is riddled with fear and anxiety. It is my understanding that there are over 500 categories of fear or phobias. If anything else, one of the chief fruits of consistent preaching and exposure to Biblical teaching of the rapture is the immeasurable comfort it offers. 

2. Certainty of the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:14

    Paul then writes next in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus." Why mention Christ's death and resurrection? The certainty of His death and resurrection as historical events and spiritually grounding events are taught in the New Testament. 

    As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 about the certainty of Christ's death and resurrection:

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

    So much is staked on what Christ achieved that Paul later writes in 1 Corinthians 15:19-20


"If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."

    What Paul's point is in 1 Thessalonians 4:14 is this, just as certain as it is that Jesus Christ died on the cross and raised from the dead, so too is that same level of certainty in His soon return for His Church in the rapture.

3. Quick coming of the rapture. 1 Thess 4:15-17

    So, we have looked at the meaning of the the term "rapture"; the comfort of the rapture and its certainty. On this final thought about our introduction to Christ's return for His church in the rapture, we will note the quickness of its approach. 

    Theologians have noted that the rapture will have no accompanying signs preceeding it. Unlike the return of Christ to the earth, the return of Christ for His church will come when least expected. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord."

    Paul describes the event of the rapture or "catching away" without telling us when it will happen or what to look for before it happens. The emphasis here is that of how sudden the occurrance of the rapture will be. He writes these words in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

    Theologians refer to this feature of the rapture as "imminency", meaning that it could happen at anytime. At anytime, the Lord could appear in the clouds and all the graves of those Christians who died before us would be ripped open. A split second after deceased Christians are resurrected, those Christians who are alive will experience the transformative effects on their bodies, with both groups defying gravity and exiting up through the clouds to be with Jesus. 

    The bodies of every believer will be rendered immortal - never subject to decline and death. The Apostle John notes this truth in connection with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1 John 3:2-3

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

 

    This greatest of mass miracles is the next prophetic event. The exciting thing is we do not know when it will occur. All we know is that once it happens, other prophetic events will come forth like dominoes, one after the other. Until then, all Christians are encouraged to look ahead and look up - for the Lord Jesus will come in a moment, in the twinkling of any eye!

Life applications from Revelation's teaching on the future tribulation period

Revelation 6:1 "Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.”
Introduction:

The Apocalypse of John (also known as "the Book of Revelation"), details the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ with respect to present realities and future events. We explored in the last post what we can expect to take place as we move forward in history. We noted in particular an event called "the rapture of the church" and distinguished it from its closely related larger event: "the second coming of Jesus". Readers may click on the following link to review the last post here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2019/02/grasping-future-events-of-rapture-and.html 

In that last post, mention was made of another future time period that, per this author's understanding of eschatology or "doctrine of last things", occurs in between "the rapture of the church" and "the second coming of Jesus", namely, "the tribulation period". One could define the tribulation period as follows:

"The tribulation describes a time, yet future, in which God will pour out wrath to judge the nations, defeat Satan's kingdom and prepare Israel for the arrival the Lord Jesus Christ."

In past posts on this site, I have written more detailed posts on the subject of the tribulation period, which the reader can click on here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2013/11/a-biblical-overview-of-tribulation.html

also, readers may click on another post-link concerning Jesus and Paul's teaching on the tribulation here:

http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2013/11/a-biblical-overview-of-tribulation_13.html

How can a Christian find any encouragement for godly living or any relevance from the doctrine of the tribulation period. As noted in the last post, those believers who hold to a "pre-tribulation" view of the relationship of the rapture to the tribulation, assert the church's absence during that future cataclysmic event. Revelation 6-19 contains the most detailed description of this future seven-year period, expressed in a series of cyclical descriptions that retell the sequence of predicted events. How can Christians apply such texts to their lives to bring about godliness and encouragement today? Below are some thoughts on how one may apply the teaching of the tribulation period as it is expressed in the Book of Revelation.

Drawing applications from Revelation's teaching on the Tribulation

1. God's plan for dealing with the problem of evil. 

Revelation 6-19 is undoubtedly the fullest treatment we know of regarding the Tribulation period. The whole period is future, representing God's prophetic clock for executing final judgment on this world and, as seen in Paul's writings, the destruction of evil forces as personified by Anti-Christ. Revelation 6-19 unfolds a repetition of this time period in four prophetic visions that function as transparency slides on top of one another to complete a very detailed picture of the tribulation period. With respect to how God will deal with the problem of evil, we can note the first three of these visionary sequences....

a. Vision #1 - Revelation 6-11. 

The tribulation will be Jesus Christ's theater through which He will conquer the evils of the world. This particular depiction of the tribulation period is important because God, in His Ultimate Will, has ordained that time to deal with the world in justice. Acts 17:30-31 states:

Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

b. Visionary sequence #2 - Revelation 12-14

Revelation 12 is the introduction to John's next revelatory sequence of the events of the tribulation. The tribulation will be Christ's way of preparing Israel to meet Him. In Revelation 12-14, Satan and his man, Anti-Christ, will conspire against Israel by leading a rebellion of unbelieving nations during the tribulation period. Like a set of transparency slides, Revelation 12-14 fits on top of the same time frame portrayed in Revelation 6-11.

c. Visionary sequence #3 - Revelation 15-19  

The tribulation (especially the final 3 1/2 years or Great Tribulation) will be the time in which Jesus brings an end to Anti-Christ and the system of evil which will had gripped the future world.  This fully functioning future world system, described in Revelation as: "Babylon the Great", will function in the tribulation as the religious, economic and political web spun out by Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet of Revelation 12-14. After the half-way point of the tribulation period, the world system will begin to grow hostile toward the Anti-Christ and his regime. A final war, (known as "Armegeddon"), will feature all the forces of evil arrayed against Jesus during His second coming at the end of that period. Like a transparency slide once again, Revelation 15-19:10 fits over the previous visions of Revelation 6-11 & 12-14, completing for us the most detailed treatment of the tribulation period in the Bible.

2. God's promises are true

We have observed how God will deal resolutely with the problem of evil and suffering which plagues the greatest minds and hearts in this current age. So what guarantee do Christians have in the "nasty-now-and-now" that God will keep His promises? One only has to look at how He will bring to pass His promises to Israel. 

In an Old Testament prophecy about the tribulation period, Ezekiel 20:38, we find the following promise:

"and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the Lord." 

During the tribulation period, judgment of the earth will occur while God prepares and purifies Israel to anticipate her Messiah - Jesus Christ - right before the end of the tribulation. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament affirms this promise of Israel's restoration as a proof for the assurance of God's promises to Christians in Romans 11:25-26 - 

"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

 

The Great Tribulation will be a time in which the evils of man and the Anti-Christ's regime is brought to a close, with Christ's return marking the end of the tribulation -i.e "the day of the Lord". The church will be with Jesus in the marriage supper of the Lamb, protected from wrath and return with her Lord who Himself will fight and defeat the armies of the world in the battle of Armegeddon. We can therefore trust God's plans and promises. Now let's consider one final application for understanding the doctrine of the tribulation as found in Revelation 6-19....

3. God's powerful motivation to do missions

Revelation chapters 7 and 14 feature a group of Jewish evangelists called "144,000" who will share the Gospel with all the nations. In Revelation 7, we find multitudes of people getting converted during the tribulation. The consequence of converting to Christ will lead to their deaths for Jesus. Both chapters have statements that tie present motivation for sharing the Gospel to what will be that innumerable throng of people getting converted out of the nations. Revelation 7:10b records: "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb". Revelation 14:13 records an even more remarkable statement that has clear application to the church now and to the future tribulation martyrs: 

"And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”  

For those who evidence no concern about the pending tribulation period or spiritual matters in general, this truth can expose their false profession. The motivation to carry the Gospel to as many people as possible is reinforced by what the world can expect when it comes to the final moments of world history. We may wonder why God delays such events as He urges us to have an awareness about them. We know that God delays the return of Jesus to grant people everywhere the time and space to repent and turn to Him in faith (2 Peter 3:9). We also are told by Jesus Himself that the course of history is regulated by the amount of people that get to hear the Gospel in every nation (see Matthew 24:14).  

Closing thoughts

Today's post aimed to provide life-application of the Biblical doctrine of the tribulation period to current Christian living. We focused in particular on Revelation 6-19, since the Apostle John provides for us the most detailed treatment of the subject. We reached the following three applications:

1. The tribulation period reminds us that God has a plan for defeating evil and suffering.

2. The tribulation period reminds us that God's promises are true.

3. The tribulation period reminds us that God has provided a powerful motivator for sharing the Gospel.

The Coming King through a mother's eyes

Acts 1:12-14 "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."

Introduction:

The last couple of posts have been devoted to viewing key episodes of Jesus' life and ministry through the eyes of Mary. The particular focus has been upon He as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in His incarnation and crucifixion. We noted how she experienced Him as King through His incarnation and crucifixion. Today we take one final look at Mary. Acts 1:12-14 represents the final time we see Mary in the Bible. The simple report of her gathered in the upper room with the other disciples communicates her profound and yet minimal role in the sweeping redemptive drama of Jesus' life and achievements.

When we say Mary's role was profound, we speak of her part in being the vessel of Christ's humanity. In His hypostatic union, whereby the humanity of Mary's DNA was conjoined to His Person as the truly Divine Son, we find the miracle of the virgin birth/conception (Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 1:35; Galatians 4:4). When we say at the same time that Mary's role was minimal, we mean that it was Christ alone who did the miracles and bore the wrath of God on the cross apart from her. Mary's role is to point to Christ. Thus we can use her view of Him to guide our thoughts to His actions on our behalf. 

In today's post we find Mary gathered in the upper room with the disciples. Why? The risen Christ had told His disciples that they were to tarry and wait until the promised Holy Spirit would come (Acts 1:8). Jesus had taught prior to His crucifixion that He would send another comforter (John 14:17, 26-27; 15:26; 16:8-12). His repeating of this promise in His post-resurrection appearances signified how He would tangibly prove that His ascension into heaven was completed. Thus, the events of Pentecost in Acts 2 confirmed that Jesus had indeed begun His inaugural reign upon His throne over His church, a point spelled out by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:32-36. 

Now why labor over these details? Because what Mary was doing in her actions was identifying the fact that the One whom she experience in her womb as an incarnate infant and whom she saw crucified was no less than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His ascension into heaven began a sequence of events that would lead her to complete the full circuit of her faith to see Him as the coming King by faith. 

Now we know that Jesus, Who is ascended and exalted at the Father's right hand (Philippians 2:5-11) will return to this world. His role as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be revealed fully when He returns. Revelation 19:11-16 states: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

What Mary's actions model for us is the importance of watching and waiting. We watch for the King to act. We wait. She was awaiting the coming Holy Spirit. He came. We Christians, having the promised Holy Spirit, wait for Jesus to return. He will come to take us up to be with Him (rapture of the church, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). Then, (seven years after His taking us up), He will descend fully and complete to this earth to begin the physical manifestation of His earthly reign. It is exciting to think about that like Mary, we behold our King through eyes of faith. What is now faith will be made sight. Would it be that we watch and wait. The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords is coming soon!

P2 - Comparing and contrasting the Rapture & 2nd advent of Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord."

Revelation 19:11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war."

Introduction & review
Yesterday we had listed out the following similarities between the rapture and 2nd advent of Jesus Christ:

Similarities between rapture & 2nd Advent 

1. Both have the Lord l appearing in clouds. 1 Thess 4:17 vs Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27; Rev 11:19, 14:14 


2. Both have Righteous people will be raised from the dead. 1 Thess 4:16-17 vs Rev 20:4 


3. Both are described in the language as Jesus “coming”. John 14:3, 1 Thess 4:13 vs Matt 24:42; Lk 21:27 


4. Both have an uncertainty as to when they will begin. 1 Cor 15:52, 2 Thess 2:1-3 vs Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32 


5. Both will affect the entire world. 2 Thess 2:7 vs 2 Thess 2:8 


6. Both mark the end of things, the rapture will conclude the church age and 2nd advent will mark the end of the tribulation.

We noted how such similarities show that both events do have a few common points, especially in the arena of Christ raising the righteous (part 1 being the church at the rapture and part 2 having to do with the Jews at His second advent. However the rapture and the second advent or coming of Jesus have obvious differences which will be the main focus of today's post.  Noting such differences enables the careful Bible student to better grasp the Bible's overall teaching of where to place the rapture in relationship to the Second coming. As in the comparisons above, we will retain the same color-coded approach in what will now be the differences between the rapture and 2nd advent:

Differences between rapture & 2nd Advent 
1. The rapture is right before the tribulation (Thessalonians 4:13-16 & 5:1) whereas the 2nd advent occurs at the end of the tribulation. (Revelation 19:11-21)

2. The rapture is taught in 1/2 dozen passages, in the New Testament. The 2nd advent is taught in hundreds of passages, Old and New Testaments.

3. The rapture deals exclusively with the church (1 Thess 4:16-17), the 2nd advent impacts everyone else and entails Christ's restoring and raising Israel (Daniel 12:1; Matt 24:30; Luke 21:28)

4. The rapture is aimed at comforting the church (1 Thess 4:18), whereas the main theme of the 2nd advent is Christ returning in judgment. (Revelation 19:11)

5. Christ appears in the clouds but does not come down to the earth in the rapture (1 Thess 4:13-16); whereas He comes all the way down to earth in His 2nd advent. (Revelation 19:11-21)

6. There is no major war being fought when the rapture occurs, whereas in the 2nd advent, the purpose will be for Christ to war against and defeat His enemies.  

As can be seen, the above differences make holding to a post-tribulational position to be very difficult if not impossible. Mid-tribulationalist would assert all of the differences except #1 and #6.  Pre-tribulationalists would assert all six.  

Granted in many ways, such an issue as the timing of the rapture may not be as central or weighty for the Christian faith as the Deity of Christ, the inerrancy of scripture and the virgin birth. Certainly there can be allowances in this particular issue, with the author knowing many wonderful believers and respecting many wonderful Bible teachers who differ on this point.  

Nonetheless it is important for Christians to know where they stand on any doctrinal issue. This blogger personally feels that the pre-tribulational position, though not being the "perfect" doctrinal position (for only the scriptures are inerrant), is nevertheless the most consistent in the handling of the Biblical material that bears on the rapture and Jesus' second advent. 

If for anything else, the above comparisons and contrasts will serve to invite the reader to search the scriptures for themselves and to get better acquainted with that the Bible does have to teach about what God has ordained for the future, as well as the here and now.   

P1 - Comparing and contrasting the Rapture & 2nd advent of Jesus Christ

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord."

Revelation 19:11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war."

 

Noting the similarities between the rapture and 2nd advent of Jesus Christ

Over the passing of time I have found that noting the differences and similarities between the rapture and Christ's second advent aids greatly in understanding what the Bible has to say on whether or not the rapture will occur before, mid-way through or after the tribulation period.  As a general rule, post-tribulational believers will focus only on the similarities and virtually equate the two events, whereas mid-tribulational and moreso pre-tribulational believers (like myself) will note the similarities and also list the clear differences between the two events.   In today's post we aim to show the similarities between the rapture or catching away of the church and the second advent or coming of Jesus Christ. Below I will simply list the similarities and verse references in a convenient color coded fashion, with some brief remarks following the comparison:

Similarities between rapture & 2nd Advent

1. Both have the Lord appearing in clouds. 1 Thess 4:17 vs Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27; Rev 11:19, 14:14

2. Both have righteous people being raised from the dead. 1 Thess 4:16-17 vs Rev 20:4

3. Both are described in the language of Jesus “coming”. John 14:3, 1 Thess 4:13 vs Matt 24:42; Lk 21:27

4. Both have an uncertainty as to when they will begin. 1 Cor 15:52, 2 Thess 2:1-3 vs Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32

5. Both will affect the entire world. 2 Thess 2:7 vs 2 Thess 2:8

6. Both mark the end of things, the rapture will conclude the church age and 2nd advent will mark the end of the tribulation.

How a post-tribulationalist may regard the above similarities

As a former post-tribulationalist, I found the above similarities to be over-whelming proof for the assertion that the rapture would occur simultaneously with the second advent or coming of Jesus Christ. In typical logical fashion I probably would had considered the above observations as follows:

Premise#1 The rapture and 2nd advent have similar characteristics, meaning they're one event



Premise #2 The second advent will occur at the end of the tribulation period



Therefore: The rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation period.

A Pre-tribulationalist counter-response and alternative explanation of the above similarities
The problem with the above reasoning is in how I defined the word "similar".  Without going into long technicalities, the mistake I made was in saying "similar" means the "same". For instance, being from Pennsylvania, I can tell you first hand that though the Pittsburg Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles might be "similar" in that they are football teams, who are in the NFL and who are stationed in PA, nonetheless their similarities cease and the differences are far more numerous (ask any of their respective fans!) Similarity does not mean "sameness". Apples and oranges might very well be fruit, however they must be distinguished, since an apple is not an orange nor an orange an apple.



Pre-tribulationalists readily acknowledge that there are similarities between the rapture and 2nd advent, citing among other reasons that the rapture represents a "first stage" and the 2nd advent represents a "second stage" of Christ's raising of righteous saints (church-age saints in the rapture, Old Testament saints and tribulation martyrs in the 2nd advent).

The reader is invited to come back tomorrow, where will look more at the differences between these two events, and how such comparisons aid in understanding the Bible's teaching on end-time events.

More tomorrow.....

Next Big Thing #3: Earth's tribulation and Christian rewards

Revelation 19:1-2 "After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.”

Revelation 19:7-8 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."

Introduction:
We have been doing a periodic series called; "Next Big Things" - that is to say - events that will impact every person living or who has ever lived.1 In the two passages we just looked at above, we see two simultaneous events that will take place following the rapture of the church: the tribulation period, culminating in the judgment of the world system that is typified in what is called "Babylon the Great" in Revelation 19:1-6. As the tribulation is occurring, the scene switches up to heaven and a raptured church getting ready to be wedded to Jesus in Revelation 19:7-10. On earth the final seven years of history will experience tribulation, with the church up in heaven undergoing reward and preparation. In today's post we want to understand this "Next Big Thing" following the catching away of the church, namely "Earth's Tribulation and
Christian Rewards". 

Earth's tribulation following the rapture and preceeding the Lord's Return to earth.
When one scans through the chapters of Revelation 6-18 leading up to the crescendo of hallelujahs in 19:1-6, the rejoicing is over the fact that the enemies of God have been soundly defeated. The late Dr. W.A Criswell notes: "What a passage! What a consummation! What an anticipation! The passage begins with four Hallelujah choruses. Two of them are retrospective, two of them are prospective. The first Hallelujah is over the destruction of .... Mystery Babylon, the scarlet woman with the golden cup in her hand. When she is destroyed, all heaven says, “Hallelujah!” 2

In a series of repeated cycles we see the seven year tribulation period described in Revelation 6-18.3 All these chapters of course lead up to the reason as to why all of heaven is praising God for the fact that God's purposes on planet earth have been fulfilled in the tribulation period. The chart below summarizes what we are talking about:

________      ^    _________________________
Now           Rapture?  First 3 1/2 years  Second 3 1/2 years  Return
                                               7 year tribulation period         of Jesus
                                       Rev 6-11; 12-14; 15-18; 19:1-6
         

As we scan the nearly 20 passages of scripture in both Old and New Testaments regarding this time of earth's tribulation, here is what we discover:

1. Extreme. It will be an unprecedented time of human history, occurring at the end of this age. Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21

2. Judgment. Over five times we see reference to the wrath of God on this world in Revelation 6-19.

3. Preparation. The preparation of Israel to meet her Messiah. Revelation 1:7

4. Rebellion.  A Tyrannical ruler will attempt to blaspheme God and lead the whole world astray in outright rebellion again God. Revelation 13

5. Intensity. It will be divided into two equal halves, with the latter half called the "Great Tribulation" and ending in a most intense way called "The day of the Lord", which will occur when Christ returns to earth. Revelation 19:1-6.

6. Warning. For those who evidence no concern about the impending coming tribulation, this truth can expose their false profession and be used of the Spirit of God to grant them repentance whereby they may believe and be saved. Romans 5:8-9

This is what will be taking place on earth during the tribulation period.  But what about the events in heaven? What will be occurring simultaneously in heaven during this same time period? It will be during this period that the church, having been raptured or caught up by Jesus, will be standing before Him to receive heavenly rewards.

Heavenly rewards to raptured Christians
We read in Revelation 19:7-8 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." It would seem then that the church will be raptured for two main purposes spelled out below: 

Christians' rewards in the future serve to motivate Christians in the present
Christians being rewarded for the works they did following their salvation is revealed in scripture to provide motivation for Godly living in the present. I recall one night we had a talent night for the children at the church. All of the adults had gathered together on one side of the gym, with the other half reserved for the various talents to be displayed. A table full of ribbons & rewards was situated next to the event.  As soon as a child would perform their talent, the crowd would cheer and the children would run over to claim their prize. No one could fault neither the church nor the children for receiving rewards for their willing participation in that event. 

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 states: "If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." What will be entailed in these rewards? Scripture describes the rewards in various ways. One way is through the notion of various "ornaments" or "crowns" that Christians will be given to cast at the Savior's feet as represented by the actions of the 24 elders in Revelation 4:10.4 Just as we saw in the case with the children above, it should not be thought improper for Jesus to want to use rewards to motivate His people unto godliness.  Ultimately we discover that the true reward behind the rewards will be to see Him as He is. (1 John 3:1-3)

A Heavenly wedding in the future should increase the Christian's love in the present

As we mentioned a moment ago, one of the terms used to describe the reward system at the judgment seat of Christ is that of "crowns"  or "ornaments". Quite interestingly enough the word for "crown" in the passage listed above can refer either to an award received at an athletic competition or ornaments worn by a bride and groom in a Jewish wedding. As the church is brought up to heaven in the rapture to the Father's house (John 14:1-3), she appears before the judgment seat of Christ to be prepared and "decked out" in wedding garments befitting her completion of redemption won for her by her Bridegroom.

I can recall years ago watching a wedding show with my wife where the wedding exceeded a million dollars.  The people were so opulent that the father of the bride had hired a person called a "bride dresser", whose job was to put expensive jewelry on the bride herself and her dress.  Why the expense? To prepare the bride for the meeting of her groom. 

The reason why the scriptures combine the imagery of rewards with that of decking out a bride is that in-as-much we are being rewarded for good works done here on earth, the energy used in performing those works is provided by the Father of the bride. Each Christian in their glorified resurrected body, having been rewarded, will shine in various levels like sequins on the gown of the bride - the church.  All will be enjoying Christ's presence in differing measure and yet be loved all equally by Him both as individually chosen people and corporately as His chosen bride. Knowing that we will be escorted out of this world into heaven should motivate us to live for and love Jesus Christ. 

Conclusion:
We have considered today the earth's tribulation and heavenly rewards for Christians following her rapture into heaven. To picture what we have discussed, we can now add to the diagram we had mentioned earlier:
                -----Christians rewarded & prepared------
                                      for what will be their marriage to Jesus
                                                  Revelation 19:7-10


________        ^    _________________________
Now           Rapture?  First 3 1/2 years  Second 3 1/2 years  Return
                                               7 year tribulation period         of Jesus
                                       Rev 6-11; 12-14; 15-18; 19:1-6


As the reader can see, both events will occur simultaneously following the rapture event. The earthly tribulation, when studied throughout the scripture, can be described in six words: extreme, judgment, preparation, rebellion, intensity & warning. The simultaneous heavenly rewarding or Bema Seat for raptured Christians will aim at reward and preparing the church for her eventual wedding to Christ. Knowing such truths should motivate Christians to both live for and love their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Endnotes:
1. http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-next-big-thing-death-hell-or-heaven.html

http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/02/p1-next-big-thing-catching-away-of.html

http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/02/p2-next-big-thing-catching-away-of.html
2. http://www.wacriswell.com/transcript/?thisid=5A34409B-6D50-4E1F-A9A91A14A924E25C

3. From Revelation 6-11 we see Christ acting forth to unfold the seals and trumpets in his conquering of the world's kingdoms. Then in Revelation 12-14 we see more focus on the same time period yet again, with the emphasis being upon Jesus' decimation of Satan's plots and his rulers the Anti-Christ and false prophet. Then once more we see in Revelation 15-18 the same period, particularly the latter half, being the time of God's judgment upon the world system or regime Anti-Christ, Babylon the Great.

4. Five such crowns are mentioned throughout the New Testament: imperishable crown (1 Corinthians 9:25); crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4-5); crown of life (Revelation 2:10); crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) and a soul-winners crown (1 Thessalonians 2:19). These "good works" are those deeds done by believer's post-conversion up until the time of death. 

Further thoughts on connecting the rapture and the judgment seat of Christ

Romans 14:12 "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."


Yesterday we did an overview of what the scripture teaches on the subject of saints appearing before Christ to "give an account". We observed yesterday that this event, described in more detail in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 and Corinthians 5:10, will occur between the rapture of the church and the second advent or coming of Christ to this earth at the end of the tribulation period.  Today I would like to expound further on this subject by considering how exactly the following events relate together:
1. The rapture
2. The judgment seat of Christ or what is also called "the Bema seat"


1. The rapture will begin the sequence leading believers to appear before the judgment seat of Christ
As we had mainly noted yesterday, when harmonizing the rapture event (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) with the judgment seat of Christ in heaven (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; Corinthians 5:10), many Bible scholars connect the two events: with the rapture being the starting point and the judgment seat being the destination for Christians to occupy during the tribulation period.


Dr. Tom Lahaye writes: "We will be caught up (raptured) together (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We will bee caught up in the clouds (where dead and living believers will have a monumental reunion (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We will meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Christ will receive us unto Himself and take us to the Father's house 'that where I am, there you may be also' (John 14:3). And so shall we always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). 1


2. The purpose of the judgment seat of Christ
Dr. Lahaye explains next what will occur once Christians have been raptured at the beginning of the tribulation period: "At the call of Christ for believers, He  will judge all things. Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10), described in detail in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)." 2


Dr. Lahaye's thoughts aid us greatly in gathering our thoughts around the judgment seat of Christ. In thinking about why Christians would be taken up by Jesus into heaven to be examined by Him, we can note two main reward:


1. Reward.
1 Corinthians 3:14-15 states: "If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." What will be entailed in these rewards? Scripture describes the rewards in various ways. One way is through the notion of various "ornaments" or "crowns" that Christians will be given to cast at the Saviors feet as represented by the actions of the 24 elders in Revelation 4:10. Five such crowns are mentioned throughout the New Testament: imperishable crown (1 Corinthians 9:25); crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4-5); crown of life (Revelation 2:10); crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) and a soul-winners crown (1 Thessalonians 2:19). These "good works" are those deeds done by believer's post-conversion up until the time of death. According to Dr. Tim Lahaye, examples of the kinds of works to be evaluated at the judgment seat would be witness (Matthew 5:16); worship (Matt 26:10) and generosity (1 Tim 6:18).3


2. Preparation


As we mentioned a moment ago, one of the terms used to describe the reward system at the judgment seat of Christ is that of "crowns" or "ornaments". Quite interestingly enough the word for "crown" in the passage listed above can refer either to an award received at an athletic competition or ornaments worn by a bride and groom in a Jewish wedding.4 As the church is brought up to heaven in the rapture to the Father's house (John 14:1-3), she appears before the judgment seat of Christ to be prepared and "decked out" in wedding garments befitting her completion of redemption won for her by her Bridegroom.


As Revelation 19:7-8 notes: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."  It would seem then that the church is raptured for the purpose of not only rewards, but also preparation for what will ultimately be the final wedding between Christ and His people at the end of the ages.5


Dr. John MacArthur explains what we have been discussing in striking detail: "Saints (are) raptured at the beginning of the Tribulation, with the Lord. For that period of time, (they) come back, reign with Him on the earth and at that time they're not only presented to those who are in heaven as they are in the time of the Tribulation but they're presented to the population of the world because the raptured and redeemed saints will come back with Christ and that presentation, in a sense, will continue through the Kingdom." 6  Dr. Dwight Pentecost in his book "Things to Come" explains the sequence of events as being in short: rapture, judgment seat/marriage supper, end of tribulation, Christ's return and 1,000 year reign.


Application and conclusion:
Dr. Wayne Grudem in His Systematic Theology gives us the following wonderful application of everything we have considered today: "It would be morally and spiritually beneficial for us to have a greater consciousness of this clear New Testament teaching on degrees of heavenly reward. Rather than making us competitive with one another, it would cause us to help and encourage one another that we all may increase in our heavenly reward, for God has an infinite capacity to bring blessing to us all, and we are all members of one another. (1 Cor. 12:26-27).7
Endnotes:
1. Dr. Tim Lahaye. Charting the Endtimes. Harvest House Publishers. Page 51


2. Dr. Tim Lahaye. Charting the Endtimes. Harvest House Publishers. Page 51


3. Dr. Tim Lahaye. Charting the Endtimes. Harvest House Publishers. Page 53


4. Some digging around in the Greek version of Solomon's recollection of his wedding day in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, confirms the use of the same Greek word described and translated throughout the New Testament by the word "crowns". Song of Solomon 3:11 states “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And gaze on King Solomon with the crown With which his mother has crowned him On the day of his wedding, And on the day of his gladness of heart.”


5. We know from the background of Jewish weddings that an espoused or engaged bride was deemed "the wife" of the groom. Therefore what begins the process of getting ready for the wedding entails presenting the bride in heaven to Christ, and then at the end of the tribulation period, bringing the bride to earth, whereby in the wedding feast that will continue on following Christ's return, Israel may join in on the festivities, with the wedding proper taking place following Christ's 1,000 year reign here on earth.


6.http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/66-67/heavenly-hallelujahs-part-2


7. Dr. Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology. Page 1145