The issue of when the Rapture of the church will occur has been so controversial, especially with the recent happenings even in the United Nations.
All said and done, Jesus must return at any time to receive His bride (Jn. 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 22:12). But first take note of the following:
1. The Rapture is described as occurring at any time without warning (Matt. 24:42, 44).
2. Scriptures show that no one knows exactly when Jesus will return to rapture the church (Matt. 24:36).
3. This knowledge is peculiar to God the Father alone (Acts 1:6-7). In other words, it is not your business to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. Jesus is literarily saying that it is not necessary for you to know when Jesus is coming to receive His bride. What is necessary is that you be ready.
It is good that we don’t know exactly when Christ will return because, if we know the precise date, we might be tempted to be lazy in our work for Christ. Worse still, we might plan to keep sinning and then turn to God right at the very end.
Heaven is not our only goal; we have work to do here. And we must keep on doing it until death or until Christ returns to call the church out of this world.
4. Scriptures show that Jesus’ return for the saints will happen when no one expects Him (Matt. 24:44).
5. We should therefore wait patiently and watch! “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ” (Tit. 2:13).
6. Meanwhile, abide in Him (1 Jn. 2:28). What does it mean to abide in Christ? It means to live in continuous, intimate connection and dependence on Christ, like a branch connected to a vine, drawing life, strength, and guidance from Him through faith, obedience and prayer.
In spite of all the obvious uncertainties, we will attempt to locate when the rapture will take place: There are three theories to this effect:
i) The Pre-Tribulation Rapture. This view teaches that the Rapture of the church will happen before the final seven years begins.
ii) The Mid-Tribulation Rapture. This view teaches that it will happen before the Great Tribulation, somewhere in the middle of the final seven years.
iii) The Post-Tribulation Rapture. This view teaches that the Rapture of the church will take place at the end of the Tribulation when Jesus Christ returns at the battle of Armageddon.
Here is the point: Since the church will not go through the Tribulation, it implies that the Rapture must take place before the Tribulation begins.
John says, “After this (the church age) I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me (John); which said, Come up hither (here), and I will show thee things which MUSTbe hereafter (i.e. and I will show you things that must take place after the church age)” (Rev. 4:1).
What John viewed (the vision) had changed from earth to Heaven. That very scene disappeared, and then an awesome gate flung open in Heaven, a voice like a trumpet said, “Come up here!”
“Come up here” is also a command given to the two witnesses in Revelations 11:12 which says, “And they heard a loud voice from Heaven saying, “Come up here.”
Here is the point: This command, “Come up here,” may refer to the Rapture of the church before the tribulation begins.
When Jesus said in Revelations 4:1, “Come up here,” we will go up in a twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).
What is the twinkling of an eye? The twinkling of an eye is 1100’s (1/1100) of a second. Therefore, when Jesus says, “Come up hither,” we are going to shoot through 187 trillion billion miles in eleven hundredth of a second, and we will instantly be with the LORD. Hallelujah!
What is the significance of John’s ascending into heaven? John’s ascending into Heaven pictures the church at the end of the church age that has prepared their oil, being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 25:1-13 says, “Then shall the Kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.…13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
After these things! Again, the Greek phrase “meta tura” meaning “after these things,” is used at the beginning and at the end of Revelations 4:1 thus: “After these things (after writing the things concerning the church in Revelations 2-3), I looked up…….. a door was opened in Heaven, and the first voice said, “Come up here,” and I will show you things which must be after these things, that is, after the church age.
This confirms and settles the question as to the time of the fulfillment of all the events of Revelations 4-22.
They must be after “these things” of the churches, after the Rapture of the church. The church is no longer on earth when the events of Revelations 4:2-22 are taking place. Note that Christ said that the events of Revelations 4-22 must be hereafter, that is, after the church has been taken to Heaven as proved by Revelations 1:19.
Revelations 1:19 says, “Write (1) the things which thou hast seen (that is, the visions of Christ in the midst of the seven candle sticks – Rev. 1:7), and (2) the things which are (i.e. the things concerning the churches – Rev. 2-3), and (3) the things which shall be hereafter(i.e. the events which must be after the church age – Rev. 4:1-22:5).”
Therefore, the church MUST be raptured between the things which are (Rev. 2-3), and the things which must be hereafter, i.e. after the church age (Rev. 4:1-22:5). But before we zap to heaven: We will be instantly changed (transformed) to be like Jesus (Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:50-53).
Here is the truth: Since the church will not go through the Tribulation, it implies that the Rapture must take place before the Tribulation begins.
Watch out for the next edition of the Good News from the Pulpit.
- Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor, HOG)
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