 THE
RAPTURE THEORY PART II
Matt 24:43-44
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in
what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would
not have suffered his house to be broken up.44 Therefore be ye also
ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
2 Pet 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up.
1Thes 5:1-2
1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that
I write unto you.2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
We must watch at all times. But there is nothing
here to indicate that the event itself will be secret. Peter and
Paul did not mean that the event itself will be quiet, for they
say that it will be accompanied with a great noise, with a shout,
and the trump of God. In the "twinkling of an eye," as
soon as a man can wink, with expressions that show that this mighty
work is to be done by the almighty power of God, as He does all
His works. The resurrection of all the dead from the foundation
of the world to that time and the change of all the living then
upon the earth shall be the work of a single moment. At the last
trump (Rev.11:15-18). For the trumpet shall sound. By this the apostle
confirms the substance of the tradition that there shall be the
sound of a trumpet on this great day; and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible; fully clothed with a new body; to die no more. We
shall be changed. That is, those who shall then be found alive.
Because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, therefore, there
must be a refinement by death, or a change without it. Since flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and all shall not be
found dead at the day of judgment, then all must be changed--undergo
such a change that their bodies may become spiritual, like the body
of those who shall be raised from the dead.
Rev 11:15-18
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms
of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and
ever.16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on
their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,17 Saying,
We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and
art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and
hast reigned.18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou
shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the
saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 8:2
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them
were given seven trumpets.
Dan 7:14
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that
all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion
is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
that which shall not be destroyed.
We notice the same three things that were included
in these passages: the trumpet sounds, the seventh; the last trump,
the time of the dead to be raised--the resurrection, and the saints
rewarded, which would include their being changed from mortal to
immortality, caught up to meet the Lord. These things indicate that
the rapture will be at the end of the age, (after the tribulation),
at the last day, at the last trump! John tells us in Revelation
11:18 that the sounding of the seventh trumpet--the last trumpet--will
be "the time of the dead" to be resurrected. God will
then "give reward unto--the saints." Where, then, is there
any room for the idea that before any of these trumpets sound the
saints will have already been raptured to heaven to be rewarded?
I believe that the dead saints will be resurrected at the end of
the tribulation and we who are alive will meet them.
Since the resurrection occurs after the tribulation,
then every born again believer in Jesus Christ needs to be awakened
to this truth. They need to prepare and perfect themselves, through
the word by the Holy Spirit. Your hope of being taken out and away
from the bad things may let you down and you may not have the power
to go through the tribulation. Of all the people I know, not one
person has ever found a single scripture that says we will be raptured
before the tribulation. It will be a literal personal appearing;
heralded by trumpet sounds that will pierce the heaven and shake
the earth, while angelic voices sing the song of the redeemed.
Matt 24:21-22
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Probation will close when Jesus comes. His coming
will be preceded by a time of trouble "such as was not since
there was a nation." God's people will pass through this time
of trouble, and will be kept by the power of God and protected under
the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1-11). All of this excludes
the theory of the "rapture." Tragically that men, particularly
teachers who are honest and sincere, fail to see these beautiful
truths. May we all be ready to welcome our Savior with shouts of
joy and glad praises, acclaiming our hope in the words of Isaiah:
"Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save
us" (Isa.25:9).
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