THE HOPE OF GOD’S GRACE DURING THE FINAL TRIBULATION
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-22, NKJV).
For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable (1 Corinthians 15:12-18, NKJV).
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell 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 trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:50-52, NKJV).
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets (Acts 3:19-21).
Many Christians have been confused and concerned over the centuries about the “Rapture” of the church and the “Second Coming of Jesus.” The confusion that believers feel is a result of the variety of opinions as to when or even if these events will occur and if they are going to transpire, in what order will they materialize.
First, let’s tackle the question as to whether the “Rapture of the Church” and the “Second Coming of Jesus” will come to pass. I have listed five direct references in this chapter that specifically speak to these occurrences. Here is a partial list of other verses that relate expressly to these two incidents: Matthew 16:27, 23:39, 24:30-31, 25:31-32, 26.64, Mark12:18-27, 13:26-27, Luke 17:26-35, 18:8, John 5:21, 5:28-29, 14:18, 28-29, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 6:14, 11:26, Philippians 3:20-21, 4:5, Colossians 3:4, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 2.8, 1 Timothy 6:14-15, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28, James 5:7-9, 2 Peter 1:16, 3:8-10, 1 John 2:28, 3:2, Revelation 1:7, 3:11, 22:12, 22:20.[1] [2] These are not meant to be a complete list.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV), “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Basic logic would tell us that if ALL scripture is given to us by inspiration of God then ANY scripture is of God “and is profitable.
The word Rapture does not appear in the Bible. It comes from the Latin word “rapare” which means "seize", "snatch" or "take away." The term Rapture is used to refer to the faithful believers being taken up to meet Christ in the air as described in this (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) passage written by the apostle Paul.[3]
The word “Rapture” does not appear in any of our basic and most trusted translations. However, 1 Thessalonians 4:17 uses the phrase, “caught up” to describe what will happen to those true believers who have died before the Second Coming of Jesus and those who are alive when it takes place. This is our hope of grace in Jesus. This is the hope of every born again Christian, that we will someday be taken up into Heaven. 1 Thessalonians says specifically that we will not all be dead when the “Rapture” happens. It doesn’t matter whether you use the word “Rapture” or the “Caught Up,” all who are trust in Jesus for their salvation will be taken.
Secondly, we don’t know when either of these events are going to happen. Volumes have been written by those, who are much more intelligent and greater theologians than I, attempting to interpret the scriptures that I have recorded in this chapter. Their interpretations only cause more confusion. The answer is a simple one. We don’t know when. In Acts 1:7 we read, “He (Jesus) said to them (the disciples), ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’"
Jesus didn’t even know (Matthew 24:35 or Mark 13:30). In Acts 1:7, “He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples): ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.’” Therefore, we can refer to ourselves Pre, Mid, or Post Tribulation Rapturists, we can be Premillennial, Postmillennial, or Amillennial, but we are only speculating. However, there is one thing that we do know for sure.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus says specifically that when we experience salvation, we will ALL receive the Holy Spirit as a gift of God’s grace, and we are ALL commanded to be witnesses for Jesus in our own spheres of influence, in our neighborhoods, at work and in all parts of the world. Evangelism is not only the hope of Christianity it is essential to the identity of all believers; “you shall be witnesses to Me.” Instead of studying about something we can’t know, and debating issues that cannot be resolved, believers should be spreading the gospel with their lives and their words so that others might be added to the kingdom.
[1] What Does the Bible Say About the Rapture, christianbiblereference.org/faq_rapture.htm
[2] What Does the Bible Say about the Second Coming of Jesus, christianbiblereference.org/faq_SecondComing.htm
[3] Ibid, What does the Bible say About the Rapture.
Overcast, 61°