Message topic: What is the rapture?
Scripture text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We believe that the bible is God’s story of His the creation of the world, the readaptation of mankind after his falling away from his first relationship with God, with a beginning and an ending.
In the modern translations, some of the books of the Bible does not appears in chronological order, but we’ve got the beginning and ending placed correctly, Genesis as the beginning of time, and Revelation as the end of time in all the translations.
Some translations highlight the words of Jesus Christ in red letters. Do you know what the final red-letters words of Jesus are? Surely, I am coming quickly. Revelation 22:20, and the response of our hearts echoes that of the Apostle John, Amen, even so come Lord Jesus.
In religious conversations, we often hear the word Rapture: what is the meaning of the word rapture? Rapture is a Christian belief that at the return of Christ Jesus, all who believes in Him, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, this is called the rapture, which will involve the resurrection of the dead believers in Christ, and the glorification of all living believers.
The rapture is a source of hope and anticipation for Christians who expect to be redeemed and exalted by Jesus Christ. The word rapture is not found in the bible, it is derived from the Latin word for to be caught up.
Listen to these words from 1st.Thessalonian 4: 16-17, 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 cloud, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
There are many Christians who believe that the second coming of Jesus will be in two phases. First, He will come for believers both living and dead, in the rapture as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4; 13-17. In this view, the rapture which is the transformation and catching up of all Cristians, dead or alive, to meet Christ in the air will be a secret, for it will be unknown to the world of unbelievers at the time of its happening.
There is another word in the bible which most believers do not fully understand, that word is tribulation: so, what is tribulation? Tribulation is defined as a relatively short period of time where everyone will experience worldwide hardship, persecution, disasters, famine, war, pain, and suffering, which will affect all of creation, and precede judgment of all when the second coming will takes place.
There is a debate as to when this will take place, before or after the rapture when Christ will come and remove all who make him their Lord and master, or will the believers in God have to go through the horrible things that will come on the whole world just before the second coming or the return of Jesus.
The effect of this removal, in the absence of multitude of people, will, of course be evident on earth. Then, second, after a period of seven years of tribulation on earth, Christ will return to the earth with His church, the saints who were raptured in Matthew 24; 30, 2ND. Thessalonians 1:7, 1 Peter, 1:13, and Rev. 1:7.
He will be victorious over His enemies and will reign on the earth for 1000 years (often referred to as the millennium) with His saints the church.
After 1000 years, the living unbelievers and the wicked dead now raised to life will be judged at the great white throne judgment, they will then be cast into the lake of fire, while the saved will live forever with Christ in the new heaven and earth, (Rev. 19;22)
There are those who contends that Christ return and the rapture will not occur until the seven years of the tribulation have ended. As far as the latter view is concerned, the rapture will not be a secret, since it will be of Christ’s visible and triumphant return to end this present evil age.
All Christians does not agree on every detail of what will occur in the final events of this world’s history; some of these events and their order of occurrence have not been made clear in the bible. What is important is that all Christians hold in common that Christ will ultimately return bodily and gloriously to reign and rule with His resurrected and transformed saints forever and ever. The details of this great event will be made known in God’s own time.
There are many confusing non-biblical theories about the second coming of Christ which distract many people. Will He appear spiritually to only a select few? Will Jesus second coming only be in certain physical locations? Will Jesue appear in the desert? Jesus warned about deceptions in the last days. In fact, in Matthew 24: 4-5 , Jesus cautions believers not to be deceived by people coming in the name of Jesus claiming to be Christ, therefore, our only safeguard is to turn to the bible alone for answers.
Many people ask, how many people will see Jesus when He returns? Christ second coming will be bright, loud and glorious. This event cannot be hidden, every human on planet earth will see Jesus. He will come back personally and literally. Revelation 1: 7 says, Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him.
There will not be a person on earth who is unaware of Jesus return. Jesus himself declares the manner of his coming. Matther 24: 27 states that the return of Christ will be like the brightness of lightning illuminating the entire sky from the east to the west. Verses 30 and 31 of the same chapter describe Jesus coming with power and great glory and with the sound of a great trumpet, that awakens the righteous dead who are then gathered from the ends of the earth. How should we live while we are waiting Christ return?
Christians should be on guard, watching and praying until the day of the Lord. Luke 21: 34-36 says, but take heed to yourself, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and the day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the son of man. How will Jesus come back?
We know Jesus second coming will be a literal event and will be just like He went to heaven the first time. Acts 1: 9-11 says the following. Now, when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
While they looked steadfastly towards heaven as He went up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. They continue to look steadfastly towards heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.
The first statement of our message today, says that the bible is God telling His story of how He created the world and all the created beings, which excluded man, as man was made instead of created.
This story started at Genesis and ended at Revelation and shows God’s special love for man who was made in His own image: yet there are so many who today are being led astray because of lack of understanding of the truth of God’s story to mankind. Let us pray that God will use us as light in this dark world so that others can be drawn to the truth of His words before it is too late.