THE RAPTURE THEORY PART III

Rev 1:7
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The above text is as plain as could be and proves beyond a doubt that when Jesus comes He will be visible to the whole world and that both righteous and wicked will see Him. Those who are teaching a spiritual coming, or a secret revelation to the righteous only, must be very superficial readers of the scriptures. If anything is clear in this text (Acts 1:11), it is that the coming of Christ will be as literal as His departing. All the twisting and turning of scriptures cannot change the meaning of the phrasing in this text: "This same Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." How any rational being could, with this text before him, make the coming of Christ a secret event is unthinkable.

Dan 7:24-27
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

This great prophecy pertaining to Daniel's people and the city of Jerusalem is linked with a time period of seventy "weeks." Bible students recognize that these seventy weeks or 490 days are symbolic of years--each day representing a year--that is 490 years. While Christians are generally united in the belief that the "seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks," that is 69 weeks (483 years) measure from time the command to rebuild both the city and the temple of Jerusalem by Cyrus (Ezra 1) measure unto the "Messiah--the Lord Jesus, and the 70th week followed the 69th week. We believe the fulfilled interpretation is the correct view; that the 69 weeks measured "unto Messiah;" that in the midst of the 70th week--after three and a half years of ministry--He was cut off in death; that this sacrifice, being the perfect sacrifice, caused other sacrifices to cease.

From the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah was to be 483 years. When this time was fulfilled, those who knew this prophecy were expecting the appearance of the Messiah; that is the Christ. Thus when John came baptizing, "the people were in expectation, and all men pondered in their heart of John, whether he were the Christ or not" (Luke 3:15). John plainly told them that he was not the Christ--he was only the forerunner. When Jesus appeared on the scene, John cried: "Behold the Lamb of God!" The time had now come that Jesus should be "made manifest to Israel" (John 1:29).

Daniel's prophecy revealed that the time period unto the messiah would be 69 weeks (483 years). This measured to the time when Jesus was baptized and anointed to begin His ministry as the Messiah, the Christ, the "Anointed one." The 69 weeks were to measure unto Messiah "and after" the 69 weeks "shall Messiah be cut off." Now after 69 weeks does not and cannot mean "in " or "during" the 69 weeks, there is only one week left in which He could have been "cut off"--the 70th week!--after three and a half years of ministry. The term "cut off" implies that Messiah would not die a natural death; He would be murdered! So also had Isaiah prophesied using a equivalent word: "He was cut off out of the land of the living" (Isa.58:8).

The first half of the "week," the time of our Lord's ministry, was definitely directed toward Israel. But what about the second half--the final three and a half years of the prophecy--was it also linked with Israel? Did the disciples continue to preach for the duration of the remaining three and a half years to Israel? Yes they did!

In our study of the 70 weeks, we have seen that Anti-Christ is nowhere mentioned of, or referred to; nothing is said about him making and breaking a covenant with the Jews, what, then, do the scriptures teach concerning Anti-Christ? What did Paul mean when he said the man of sin would exalt himself above all others in the "temple of God?" Did he have reference to a rebuilt Jewish temple? Since Paul said that Christ will not come again until there is a falling away first and the man of sin is revealed, we ask: has the falling away occurred yet? Has the man of sin been revealed? Is his appearance future or fulfilled?

We believe that the prophesies concerning the man of sin or the Anti-Christ have found their fulfillment in the Papacy--the succession of the Popes that rose to power in Rome following the fall of the Roman Empire. The Anti-Christ will not rule for 7 years and then break his covenant with the Jews - there will not be a secret rapture.

Jesus taught that He would remain in the world to accomplish a definite purpose: to preach the gospel. He commissioned His disciples to "go and teach all nations" and in connection with this commission he promised: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (age).

According to this, how long will the church be in the world fulfilling this Divine commission? The answer is that the church will remain in the world until the end of this age. Surely, His promise to be with the church until the end of the age would be strange if it is His plan to remove the church seven years before that time! If when the end of this age comes, the church would no longer be on earth, a promise such as this would be meaningless.

Lets us review the "Rapture" according to Paul in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” What will the people on earth be doing when the Lord returns? "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40-41). The people will be living the same way that they were in the time of Noah, "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" before the flood came (Matthew 24:27-28).

Paul stated: "In a moment, In the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible" (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) Those who are alive will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the clouds. How? "And He (God) 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" (Matthew 24:31). When will this happen? "Immediately after the Tribulation, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (Matthew 24:29-30). "For then shall be great tribulation; such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the Elect's (Christians) sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:21-22).

Zech 4:9
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

Ps 115:15-18
15 Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.

Matt 5:5
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Will God rapture the church in the time of trouble or will he find a place of refuge for them? When the time of tribulation comes, the Lord will hear their cries, "and they shall be mine, said the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my Jewels (special treasures) and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him" (Malachi 3:16-17). The Christians are called jewels.

The Church in the wilderness was nourished and protected for 1260 years when satan tried to destroy them (Revelation 12:12-17). As when God protected Daniel in the lion's den (Daniel 6:16-22). When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was in the fiery furnace, God was able to deliver them (Daniel 3:21-26). Also, "Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him" (Genesis 8:18-22). None of these people were raptured out of their tribulation; God made a way for them to escape.

"For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34-36).

The scope of Divine judgment is laid out in both the New Testament and the Old testament; how He shall make even a speedy radiance of all them that dwell in the land. "Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. (Zephaniah 2:2-3). Notice: Hid- not rapture.

When the end time tribulation comes, we can say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in Him will I trust. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalms 91:1-11).