| |
| |
|
Religion Information |
|
|
|
The Rapture of the Church
The Rapture of the Church will be the most startling event to happen in all of human history. Millions will disappear in "the twinkling of an eye." Great confusion and bewilderment will occupy the minds of those left behind. Many explanations for the disappearance of those missing will be entertained. In the meantime the Church will have been "caught up" in the air to appear before the Lord at the "judgment seat of Christ" (2 Cor. 5:10). This will be a judgment of rewards based on the believer's works. It will be a time of great joy for many as they hear the Savior's "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:41). For some it will be a time of shame and regret (1 John 2:28). Many writers see John's "come up hither" as being typical of the church being caught up at the Rapture with chapters 6-19 disclosing the seven year tribulation. From this point on the Church is not mentioned again until we come to Revelation 19:7, where we see the Church preparing for the "marriage of the Lamb" and her return to earth. According to John F. Walvoord, "The term rapture itself is derived from the Latin Vulgate version of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 where the expression 'caught up' is translated by the Latin rapturo." According to Scripture, the saints living at the time of the Lord's coming will be translated to meet the Lord in the air. It will be a glorious time of reunion with our loved ones who have gone before us, and best of all, as John proclaimed, "They shall see his face" (Rev. 22:4). No wonder that Paul described the Lord's coming as the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). At the Rapture the Lord will descend bodily in the air for his saints, both for the dead and for the living (1 Thess. 4:16-17). This will be seven years prior to the Revelation or the second stage of His coming. In the first stage at the Rapture the Lord comes for His Church; whereas, at the end of the tribulation period He comes back with His Church. At this event "every eye shall see him" although at the Rapture He will come "as a thief" and only believers will see Him (1 John 3:1-3). At the Rapture the Lord will return to resurrect the dead and translate those saints then living on the earth. Only those who have been born again by the blood of Christ will hear the "shout" that will complete the Church age and begin the Day of the Lord. Our bodies will be fashioned after our Lord's resurrection body. Although our resurrection bodies will be different in quality, we will be recognizable. According to Allan R. Killen, "Christ arose in the body in which He had suffered, leaving an empty tomb. His new body had 'flesh and bones,' and yet, though He was absolutely recognizable, its qualities were gloriously changed. The believer's new body is not to be 'flesh and blood,' for this is the nature of his mortal body. He will be like the angels in that he will neither marry nor give in marriage (Matt. 22:29-30). This new body is described in 1 Cor. 15:35-50." Paul, writing to the Corinthians concerning the resurrection event, explains: "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming, Then cometh the end" (1 Cor. 15:23-24). John Phillips comments that "the first resurrection is actually in three stages, corresponding to the stages of the Jewish harvest: (1) the first fruits were reaped and presented to God; then (2) the harvest was reaped; and (3) the gleanings were gathered in. The resurrection harvest will take place at the rapture, and the gleanings will be collected at various times during the great tribulation period." Within premillennialism there are differing views concerning the Rapture of the Church. The five most common views are (1) the partial-rapture theory; (2) the midtribulation rapture; (3) the posttribulation rapture;(4) the pretribulation rapture; and, (5) the pre-wrath rapture. We will look briefly at each view beginning with the partial-rapture theory. (l) Partial-rapture theory. In this view the issue is not the timing, but the subjects of the Rapture. Advocates of this view believe the Rapture of the believer will be based on reward for the individual's faithfulness. (2) Midtribulation Rapture. The midtribulation rapture theory seems to be a compromise between the pretribulation and the posttribulation views. According to this view the seven-year tribulation is divided into two halves; the first half described as the wrath of man, and the last half as the wrath of God. The Rapture of the Church will take place at the middle of the tribulation period three-and-one-half years prior to the Second Advent. (3) Posttribulation Rapture. The majority of those holding this view believe the Church will enter the seven-year tribulation and just prior to the Second Advent be raptured and return immediately to the earth with the Lord. Some posttribulationists view the entire present age as the tribulation, although the majority accept the literal interpretation of the tribulation period as a portrayal of actual events preceding the Second Advent. (4) Pretribulation Rapture. According to the pretribulation view of the Rapture, the Church will be translated prior to the seventieth week of Daniel and return with the Lord to the earth at the Second Advent. Hand in hand with this view is the doctrine of imminency, which emphasizes that the Lord can return any moment without regard to signs. All signs are for Israel and therefore relate to the Revelation (Rev. 19:11-21), when He will come with the saints at the end of the tribulation period. (5) Pre-Wrath Rapture. According to the pre-wrath rapture view the church will be raptured three-quarters of the way through the seventieth week between the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord prior to the outpouring of God's wrath and before the sounding of the seventh trumpet. This view has been popularized by Marvin Rosenthal, former executive director of Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. The Rapture is spoken of by Paul in the Scriptures as a "mystery." Paul states: "Behold, I shew 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" (1 Cor. 15:51-52). This concept was something that was unknown to the Old Testament saints. The general teaching of the resurrection is a well-known fact both in the OT as well as the NT. The fact that saints will be alive at the Second Advent is also a well-known doctrine. Yet as Walvoord states: "The precise mystery is the added revelation of the fact of translation without dying in connection with the coming of the Lord." According to Donald W. Burdick, "the NT concept of the 'mystery'... [is] a divine truth, formerly hidden but now supernaturally revealed to men, which can be fully understood only by the saved individual through the illumination of the Holy Spirit." Many students of the Word still neglect the New Testament doctrine of the Rapture of the saints. Finally, a word concerning date setting. Jesus told His disciples: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matt. 24:36). David Allen Lewis states: "The Rapture will be an escape, but the doctrine is not for escapism." We can avoid the "escapist" mentality and yet still be vigilant in our endeavors to make known this vital truth. Let us realize the urgency of the hour that we are living in, and make the most of every opportunity God sends our way. Paul states: "Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13). Rev. Larry W. Cockerham is best known for his prophetical teaching ministry based on the inspiration and authority of the Bible. The foundation of his ministry is helping others understand the Scriptures as they relate to the "blessed hope" (Tit. 2:13). Bro. Larry graduated from Andersonville Baptist Seminary with a Bachelor of Theology degree and is presently working on his Masters of Theology. He has been teaching and preaching Bible prophecy, typology and related studies in churches for over twenty-four years. He has written one book: Revelation: Prophetic Addresses to the Seven Churches, Vol. 1 and is the editor of Prophecy Forum Newsletter, a monthly ezine which includes Bible studies related to Biblical prophecy, eschatology and endtime studies as well as news from Israel by Jerry Golden. Please visit his site, ProphecyForum.com at http://www.prophecyforum.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Call to Action Over the last week I have received dozens of heart-rending and thought-provoking responses to my latest article, and I am thankful for each of them. Personally, I believe the tsunami and its aftermath is the most serious issue now facing humankind. A Poor Man, With Rich Mans Dreams Matthew 19:17-19:23A Poor Man, With Rich Mans Dreams Have you ever heard the phrase, a poor man with rich mans dreams? Many people in this life are completely exhausted by the race to wealth and prosperity. Looking for today and not for tomorrow. How to Solve a Wonderful Mystery The first issue we must recognize is the way God uses the word Gentile in His Word. The context will usually show you how the words are meant to be used. Battle of Armageddon This will be last and final event of the Great Tribulation. The Bible says that immediately after the Tribulation occurs, Jesus will return back to us for His second coming! Here are 2 key verses on this battle and how it all gets set up in the first place. Priesthood is Not a Profession - Does this Attest for Unprofessionalism? 1 INTRODUCTIONAS IN THE ABSTRACT2 WHY PRIESTHOOD IS NOT A PROFESSION?There is a valid reasoning behind the view that priesthood is not a profession. Because, the primary motivating factor in choosing a profession is the 'remuneration' received or monetary benefits involved. What Is The Most Important Righteous Requirement Of Gods Law? To live "under the law" is to live under theexpectation of fulfilling God's moral standardsthrough one's own human ability. However, rather thanexperiencing the joy of a clean conscience, wesometimes feel enslaved to legalism and guilt. Do You Have Disciples? Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." That was the command of the master, Jesus of Nazareth when he walked the face of this earth to two fishermen, Simon and his brother, Andrew. End Time Events and the 2nd Coming of Jesus In part 1 of this series of end time articles, I am going to go ahead and outline all of the main events that will be occurring that will be leading up to the 2nd coming of Jesus to our earth. This will be a basic overview of the main end time events. Your Focus Determines Your Reality "Your focus determines your reality", this famous line was spoken by Qui-Gonn Jinn of Start Wars-The Phantom Menace fame.Ok, perhaps it is really infamous and you don't remember that quote. End of the World | Predictions Prophecies How and When It's the End of the World as we know it.. What about the 4400? Murders are so frequent in our country that a single homicide seldom grabs national attention unless the perpetrator or the victim is already a celebrity. Even a double murder is not national news. Of Snakes and Terrorism With the passing of Arafat, the Middle East will take on a slightly different face, allowing the possibilities for prophetic fulfillment to speed up. The pathway is now open for renewed efforts to procure peace in the Middle East, using the avenue of the formation of the promised Palestinian State. What Is Faith? 1. Faith is a "spiritual substance" on the inside of you that can either grow or wane (decrease). Rise of the Antichrist, False Prophet and a 10 Nation Confederacy The Bible says that an unholy trinity will arise in the latter days. This unholy trinity will be Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The Unbelievable Becomes Believable The Path Is Winding:Ever wonder why things that happen in our lives seem so cruel and undeserved? Why do these things happen to me? Why am I being punished like this? What am I doing wrong? All of us have sought answers to these questions dozens of times. Have you found the answer yet?We all have some sort of dubious answers as to why they happen. Catholics Need To Take a Second Look at Morality According to CNN, Catholics voted for President Bush over Senator John Kerry by a 51 to 48 percent margin. Hence, Catholics voted for a Born Again Methodist over a Catholic candidate. The Kabbalah of Love: Part One (This is the first article in a new series on the Kabbalah of Love - stay tuned for upcoming articles!)Intimate Love.What feelings do these words stir up in you? Longing? Excitement? Pleasure? Fear?Whatever the feeling, if thinking about intimate love makes your heart beat faster, I'm not surprised. Churchless Christianity: A Move of God? There's another "move of God" that's sweeping the nations. Have you noticed? Very few of those I've spoken with actually have. Biblical Hermeneutics - Part 1 Hermeneutics is the science and art of the interpretive process which begins by determining the original meaning of the Biblical text and leads to elucidation of its sense for the body of Christ today. It is concerned with the presuppositions that are brought to the interpretation of texts because it consciously or unconsciously influences conclusions drawn. Books of the Living and Dead Revelation 20:12 makes a powerful claim: "And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, [called] the book of the living.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
