THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH!

The most exciting event the world has ever seen since the past 2000 years is about to happen. It is called “THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.”

So today, we want to look at THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, which is one of the very last signs of the Second Coming of Christ.

In this teaching we are going to define the Rapture and the focus on the differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.

What is Rapture? The word “rapture” is from a Greek word “harpazo” which means “the coming of the LORD in the air FOR the saints.” It also comes from a Latin word which means “a carrying off, a transport, or a snatching away.”

The rapture of the church is the event in which Jesus Christ “snatches away” all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period.

The doctrine of the rapture was not taught in the Old Testament, which is why Paul calls it a “mystery” now revealed (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” And God wants us to “encourage each other with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18).

The rapture will involve an instantaneous transformation of our physical bodies to fit us for eternity (1 Jn. 3:2).

The rapture is different from the Second Coming of Christ. How then does The RAPTURE differ from the 2^nd Coming of Christ? They differ from each other as follows:

1. Meeting in the Air - Versus - Returning with Him. At the Rapture, believers will meet the Lord in the air.              

At the Rapture, Christ comes for His own (1 Thess. 4:13-18). At the Second Coming, believers will return with the Lord (Rev. 19:14). The Second Advent of Christ is the coming of the Lord to the earth WITH the saints at the battle of Armageddon.

2. The destination of the raptured saints. At the Rapture, Jesus will take the raptured saints to the Father's House in Heaven (Jn. 14:2-3).

At the Second Coming of Christ, the raptured believers will come to the Earth with Christ (Matt 24:30).

3. The landing site. At the Second Coming of Christ, His legs shall touch the earth – Mount of Olives. As soon as the Lord stands on the Mount of Olives, a great earthquake will follow and the land will cleave into two (Zech. 14:3-4). But at the Rapture, the Lord will stay in the air; His feet shall not touch the ground.

4. The state of the Mount of Olives. At the Rapture, Mount of Olives will be unchanged. But at the Second Coming of Christ, the Mount of Olives will be divided into two parts, forming a valley east of Jerusalem.

5. Before The Tribulation - versus - after Tribulation. The Rapture will happen before the Tribulation (1 Thess. 5:9). The Second Coming will happen at the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 6-19).

6. Deliverance - versus – Judgment. At the Rapture believers are taken from the earth by God as an act of deliverance (1 Thess. 5:9). At the Second Coming unbelievers are removed from the earth by God as an act of judgment (Rev. 3:10).

7. Hidden - versus - seen by all. The Rapture, according to Scripture, will be an instantaneous, hidden event (1 Cor. 15:52, 19:11-16). These ones will be the only ones that will hear the sound of the trumpet (1 Cor. 15:51-54). But at the Second Coming of Christ, every eye shall see Him (Rev. 1:7).

8. At any moment - verses - Only After Certain Events. No signs precede the Rapture. The Rapture itself is a sign of the Second Coming of Christ. The Book of Revelation reports these events as occurring during the 7-year Tribulation period, which Revelation reveals precede the Second Coming.

The Rapture could happen at any moment (1 Cor. 15:52). But the Second Coming won't happen until certain events have taken place. The Second Coming of Christ will be preceded by many events, such as a) The rise of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:4), b) A treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27), c) The rebuilding of the Jewish Temple (Matt. 24:15), d) As well as plagues, judgments and persecutions destroying most of the world’s population (Rev. 6:18).

9. The nature of the bodies. At the Rapture, the living believers will obtain glorified bodies. At the Second Coming, the living believers will remain in the same bodies.

10. At the Rapture, believers go to heaven. At the Second Coming, the glorified believers come from heaven to the earth, and the earthly believers stay on earth.

11. At the Rapture, the world is left unjudged and the living in sin. At the Second Coming, the world is judged and righteousness is established (Rev. 20:4-5).

12. The Rapture depicts the deliverance of the Church from the wrath to come. The Second Coming depicts the deliverance of the believers who endured the wrath of God that was manifested during the Great Tribulation.

13. The Rapture is a Mystery (1 Cor. 15:51). It was not foretold in the Old Testament and that was why Apostle Paul said it is a mystery. But the Second Coming of Christ was foretold in the Old Testament (Dan. 12:1-3; Zech. 12:10; 14:4).

14. Time frame: The Rapture will occur 7 years to the Second Coming of Christ.

15. The Rapture is revealed only in the New Testament. The Second Coming of Christ is revealed in both the Old and New Testaments.

16. The Rapture deals with only the saved. The Second Coming of Christ deals with both the saved and unsaved.

17. At the Rapture, Satan will remain free. At the Second Coming of Christ, Satan will be bound and thrown into the Abyss.

Here is the point: We have a blessed hope – the Rapture. Titus 2:13 says, “Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The imminent return of Jesus Christ is a very powerful tool to make us live ready.

1 Peter 4:7 says, “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

In Revelation 3:11 Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

In Revelation 22:7 Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

In Revelation 22:12 Jesus said, “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

In Revelation 22:20 Jesus said, “…Surely I come quickly. Amen…”

In view of the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the church is advised to live ready. Jesus said, “Therefore, be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matt 24:44).

In Matthew 25:13 Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

In Mark 13:33 Jesus said, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”

Time is running out! Today, you have the great opportunity to change your eternal destiny. Your name must be in the Lamb’s book of life for you to qualify for the rapture. You are not going to be raptured because you are acting nice. You are not going to be raptured because your name is in a church register. You are not going to be raptured because you are a leader in the church. You will be raptured because you are Born Again and you walk in righteousness and holiness.

Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (NASU). 

So hurry, and make peace with God right now!

Watch out for the next edition of Good news from the Pulpit!

• Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Senior Pastor)                               @ the HQs on 14.01. 2018

Prayer:

1. I plead the blood of Jesus, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, help me to realize the urgency of putting my life in order, in Jesus’ name.
3. Father, I plead for mercy; wherever I have disobeyed You, please forgive me, in Jesus’ name.
4. Father, I come against the paranoid spirit [the spirit that does not allow me to see sin as God sees it], in Jesus’ name.
5. Father, teach me to number my seconds so that I may apply my heart unto wisdom, in Jesus’ name.
6. Father, sanctify me completely; and may my whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23), in Jesus’ name.