THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
The Greek word used, to describe "rapture", which is not in the Bible, but is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Caught up", is Greek "harpazo". It means to seize and overpower; to plunder, act of transporting.
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ will bodily return. Thessalonians 4:16, Paul states, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout". The early Christians were even watching for His return. Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hop., and the glorious appearing of the Great God and Savior Jews Christ". He is coming to translate His Church from this earth. Jesus promised in John 14:1-3, He was going to His Father's house to prepare a dwelling place for believers and verse ,He said, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also". Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, that at the moment when Christ returned, believers would be actually changed into their new glorified bodies in a split second, and that death would then be powerless. (Also 1 Thessalonians 4:15-1't) Believers will be rewarded according to their works.
Paul says in Romans 14:10-12, that all will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give their account. He says in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, that the believers works will be judged, and all works with the wrong motive will be burned, even though the believer will remain saved and for all of the works of the right motive, he will be rewarded for. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad".
There will be enough time elapsing between this event and Christ's return with His Church to allow for the judgment of believer's works and the marriage supper of the lamb, and included in this period is the 70th week of Daniel's -prophecy recorded in Daniel 9:24-27. Daniel prophesies about a 70 week period of God dealing with the Jews, the destruction of the city and their being a gap., between the 69th week and 70th, with the 70th being consummated in the great tribulation after the rapture of the church.
Jesus explained what would happen in Matthew 24:15-31, and 25:31-46. He warns about the coming "great tribulation", the greatest ever, which will take place in that end time, and tells us, even though no one knows the exact hour it will come, we should prepare and stay ready looking for the great event which shall actually be our escape. He said just as immediately before the flood in Noah's day, the non-prepared and unconcerned will be caught by surprise and enter the tribulation. However, the elect, who have been chosen to salvation will be able to recognize the signs of the time, and recognize the general era of the occurrence and will not be caught by surprise. In fact, these elect can not miss the rapture miss the raptures, because Jesus said in Matthew 24:31, "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other". Jesus, talking about those end times said in Matthew 24:34, "This generation shall not pass, till all these things are fulfilled'..
THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
The Bible teaches that right after the removal of the
church from the earth, (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon an unbelieving world. We are told, "Alas! For that day is great so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." (Jeremiah 30-7) "And he (the Antichrist )2, shall make it a ruin, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." (Daniel 9:27) "Ann at that time, shall Michael stand up, the great prince, which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall e a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time." (Daniel 12:1) Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, talks about the falling away of the apostate church; the church who restrains the appearance of the antichrist being taken out of the way; the antichrist coming into power with the absence of the restrainer, and the multitudes of the reprobate who will follow him, and his sitting in the actual temple of God, claiming himself to be God. In Revelation 16:1-21, the account of God pouring his vials of wrath upon the apostates is given, and the great "Battle of Armageddon", which will take places at the end of the great tribulation. The climax 6 of these judgments will be the return of Christ in glory to earth. Matthew 24:15-31; 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12; 1 Timothy 6:14) At that time, the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged. (Revelation 20:4-6; 6:9-11; Daniel 12:2,3).
THE SECOND COMING AND MILLENNIAL REIGN
After the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to literally occupy the throne of David. Jesus foretold in Matthew 25:31,32, "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations." In Jude 14, Enoch was also quoted: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints." We are told in Luke 1:32,33, concerning Jesus, "He shall be great and shall be called ..he Son of the highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him tie throne of David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His Kingdom, there shall be no end." When Jesus ascended to heaven and His disciples were watching in amazement, two angels spoke to them saying "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11. Peter, preaching to the Jews, said in Acts 2:19,30, "Let me speak freely unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and His sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne."
According to Revelation 20:1-7, that Messianic kingdom will be established and will last for a thousand years on the earth. The resurrection, saints will reign with Him over Israel and all the nations l of the earth during this thousand years. (Ezekiel 37:21-28; Daniel 7:17-22; Revelation 19:11-16) Just prior to this reign, the antichrist, and the false prophet will be overthrown, and they, with Satan, will be removed from the world. (Daniel 7:17; Revelation 20:1-7).
The fulfillment of God's promise to Israel will be the kingdom itself. (Deut. 30:1-10; Ezekiel (7:21-28; Zech. 8:1-17). God will restore them to the land which they forfeited through disobedience. (Deut. 28 L5-68; 30:1-10). Jesus had warned them in Matthew 21:43 when he said, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof."
Paul also clarified the forfeiting of the Jew's favor with God in Romans 11:1-26 resulting in Israel being temporarily set aside. However, the Bible teaches they will once again be awakened through repentance. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house-of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them sayeth the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they my people. And they shall teach no more, every man his neighbor, and every man his brother saying, know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
He also told them in Ezekiel 36:26, "A new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And, I wilt, put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. "Even the apostle Paul was revealed this truth! He states in Romans 11:25-29, "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so, all Israel shall be saved, as is written (in Psalms 14:7) "there shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins, as concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
So we know the Jews will enter into the land of blessing. (Revelation 20:4-6). This time of our Lord's thousand year reign on earth shall be characterized by Justice, Harmony, Peace, Righteousness, and Long Life. (Isaiah 11:1-16; 65:17-25; Ezekiel 36:33-38). However, the peaceful reign will be ended with the release of Satan. "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. (Revelation 20:7-8)
CONT.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Blessings!
Marked Elect
No comments:
Post a Comment