by
David Breese
A
stunning event is quickly approaching for our world! That event will be
thrilling beyond measure to every Christian. It will be dismaying and most
frightening,
however, to each person in the world who has not believed the gospel and has not become, thereby, a possessor of eternal life. We have come to call that
event
"the rapture of the Church." It is that coming awesome moment that
enables us to promise that there is a generation of Christians who win not die.
Rather,
they will be caught up while yet in their living physical bodies, taken
suddenly from this world to meet face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ.
They
will meet Him in the air and then be personally escorted by Christ, the Maker
of the universe, into heaven and the presence of God. The fact that
the
Bible describes in the clearest terms the utter reality of this event cannot be
denied by clever detractors or contradicted by coy pretenders to faith.
Rather,
this promised event of the catching away of Christians is the right and proper
source of great anticipation on the part of genuine believers across
the
world of our time.
The
subject of the rapture of the Church was introduced to believers in the New
Testament era in a most interesting fashion as the answer to a critical
doctrinal
question. I low did that question arise?
In
the early days of the Church, the believers had a general knowledge about the
coming of the Lord, the end of the world, and the consummation of history.
They
paid no attention to any theory that argued the world has been here forever and
would, in like fashion, go on interminably.
The
disciples one day asked Christ, "Tell us, when shall these things be and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matt.
24:3).
With
this question, the disciples revealed that they wisely did not believe the
various views of the uniformity and eternity of nature - false doctrine
that
was floating in that time and continues today. The disciples were very conscious
that existence on earth, and even the existence of earth itself,
was
a finite and passing thing. Their knowledge that the world would come to an end
is obvious from their question. Our Lord himself instructed us that
this
view is true.
Christ's
response to the disciples' questions compose what we know today as the Olivet
Discourse, two full chapters in Matthew's Gospel account. The general
view
of the consummation of things, however, becomes more refined in the epistles of
the New Testament.
In
the letters of the New Testament writers to the early churches, we see the
emergence of a people who are given a very special destiny by the Lord. These
people
came to be called "Christians," believers in Jesus Christ who
constitute a mysterious entity in our world called "the Church." Of
this the apostle
Paul
speaks when he says that, following Christ's crucifixion, His burial, and His
resurrection, our Lord has taken His seat at the right hand of the Father,
Far
above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which in to come:
And
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all
in all (Eph.1:21-23).
Out
of the wounded side of Jesus Christ, God created a totally marvelous entity,
which is called in Scripture the body of Christ. The existence of the body
of
Christ, however, was unknown and unforeseen by the prophets in Old Testament
days. It was a "mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been
hid
in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the
principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the
church
the manifold wisdom of God" (Eph.,3:9-10).
Christians
are, therefore, instructed that they five in a very special age in which God is
taking out of the world a people for His name and forming them
together
into a mysterious and beautiful living entity in the world, the body of Christ
himself. One of the less-realized, but most wonderful, aspects
of
Christianity is that to be a Christian is to be in indissoluble union with God
through Christ.,
The
New Testament Christians were then instructed that they were inheritors of a
stupendous eternal destiny. Speaking to them, the apostle Paul said, "He
that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32).
So,
wonder of wonders, the Christians are to inherit not merely the world, which is
the case with Israel, but they are inheritors of the universe. "All
things"
are in the process of being given to them by the Lord, the totality of which
Will one day be their inheritance. Expanding on this, the apostle
Paul
said to the Corinthians,
...
For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or
life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
And
ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
This
awesome destiny of the believer needs to be better understood by Christians
today. One of the greatest motivations for the believer to live a splendid
Christian
life is a sense of the eternal destiny that is his. Every one of us should be
lifted up from ordinary circumstances by reading that the Bible
says,
For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we
speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man,
that
thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest
him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory
and
honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things
in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection
under
him, he left nothing that is not put under him ... (Heb. 2:5-8).
What
then is God doing today in the light of the bright destiny that He has prepared
for us? The answer is that He is bringing many sons into glory (Heb.
2:10).
All of the events of life are, therefore, calculated by God to produce maturity
in His sons in preparation for the rulership of eternity.
What
wonder must have progressively taken over the minds of the members of the New
Testament body of Christ as they thought of their destiny. Living as
ordinary,
lowly individuals in Corinth, Athens, Rome, or the provinces of Galatia, they
are now offered a greater hope beyond this life. Some of them were
wicked
sinners, prostitutes, whoremongers, thieves, and even tax collectors. Out of their
degenerate pasts, the believers crossed over the bridge of faith
in
Jesus Christ to become heirs of God.
Coming
from nothing, from a life of sin, they were overwhelmed with the teaching that,
as a gift from God, they possessed eternal life and along with it,
the
never-to-fade riches of the universe. They were even promised by Jesus Christ
that they would never die. Had not He said,
I
am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die.
Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26).
Their
understanding of future glory was expanded by reading from the apostle Paul
about the work of Jesus Christ, Who hath saved us, and called us with
an
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But
now
is made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel
(2 Tim. 1:9-10).
Receiving
letters like this and listening to the face-to-face teaching of the apostle
Paul, these early Christians pursued with joy and astonishment the
truth
of the resurrection of Christ and, therefore, of their own personal
resurrection.
Five
years, ten years, twenty years had gone by, and Christ had not come. Believers
were burying their brothers and sisters as the inevitable ending of
life
took place for one Christian after another. Those first Christian funerals must
have been most moving occasions. But they also produced a series of
questions
in the minds of the believers still alive.
These
Christians, knowing that their departed loved ones were present with the Lord,
wondered how they would share in the coming of Christ. They were certainly
also
concerned about when these departed loved ones would be resurrected from the
dead. The bodies were in the grave, and their spirits were with Christ.
Jesus
was coming again; therefore, the believers asked, "How does the coming of
Christ for His church relate to those Christians who have gone before? How
do
those who have already died in Christ share in the moment of His return with
those who are yet alive? Is there a special resurrection for the
Christian?"
These
were understandable concerns and, to be sure, concerns that remain today among
untutored believers.
The
New Testament Christians corresponded with the apostle Paul, asking him about
those who had died and how they will share in the return of Christ. We
can
rejoice in this because we have Paul's answer to the questions about death and
resurrection that were raised by the early Christians.
In
the letter of the apostle Paul to the saints of Thessalonica, given by divine
revelation, he revealed that wonderful truth of the special resurrection
of
believing Christians:
But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe
that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring
with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep. 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 who 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1
Thess.
4:13-18).
This
passage presents the truth of the rapture of the Church. What lessons can we
learn from Paul's writing? They certainly include the following:
1)
Spiritual ignorance is not complimented in the Word of God. By paying attention
to the sure word of prophecy that God has given us in His Word, we can
become
knowledgeable, rather than ignorant Christians.
2)
Christians who have died are with the Lord, and they will be brought by Christ
to the Rapture. Many Christians are concerned about the location and state
of
mind of departed loved ones even today. The Scriptures reassure us that they
are "safe in the arms of Jesus" and are tenderly cared for by Him. 3)
Christ
will
descend from heaven to meet believers in the air. Notice that the Lord Jesus
does not return the entire distance to this world but, rather, awaits
that
rendezvous in the air and will catch us up to that point of greeting and
reunion. We can, therefore, suggest that this moment of tender reunion will
not
be observed by the people of earth. Indeed, even their observation would
profane so holy an occasion.
4)
The Rapture will be the occasion of the resurrection of believers. One of the
cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the resurrection of
the
body. This resurrection for believers will be on the identical occasion of the
Rapture, at The Rapture which time the bodies of Christians, glorified,
will
be reunited with their spirits which have been in the presence of Jesus Christ.
5)
The Rapture will reunite believers with loved ones who have died in Christ.
First, we will have the opportunity to greet one another, and together we
will
then be taken into the presence of Jesus Christ and into the presence of God.
6)
This event will unite believers with Christ, never again to be separated. One
of the great promises of the Rapture is that we will be present with the
Lord,
no longer to walk by faith but, rather, by sight. What an awesome occasion that
Will be, as John discovered when he met the Lord on the occasion
of
the writing of the Book of the Revelation (Rev. 1:9-18).
By
so writing, Paul gave us the classic passage in the New Testament that tens us
in no uncertain terms that there is a generation of Christians who will
not
die. Rather, they will be caught up into the presence of Christ along with
resurrected believers whom Christ will bring with Him when He comes for
that
last set of living Christians who will be alive when Christ comes for His
church.
We
must note that the doctrine of the catching up of the Church was a mystery,
which in this passage was made known to people who already knew the general
outline
of the prophetic future. This is clear because Paul says that,
But
of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as
a
thief in the night (1 Thess.5:1-2).
This
same message, that of the hitherto unannounced rapture of the Church, is also
emphasized by the apostle Paul when he wrote to the Corinthians. He said,
Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, Ina
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1
Cor. 15:51-52).
As
we have noticed, the general message of the coming of the Lord was no mystery;
the Thessalonians knew this perfectly well. The mystery was that the Church,
in
the form of the last generation of living Christians, was to be instantly
transported and transformed without experiencing physical death itself.
By
this, it then becomes clear in Scripture that God has produced a special entity
in the world, the body of Christ, and for that Body, He has a special
destiny.
That destiny is to inherit all things and to participate in the rulership of
the universe one day.
What
a joy this truth became to the members of the early Church. We know that the
first Christians were called upon to live for Christ in the midst of adverse
circumstances.
Sometimes, they were the object of severe persecution, even martyrdom. Because
of the blessed hope which they now understood, they could
receive
the Word in much affliction, continuing to rejoice despite their circumstances.
From
their example, the lesson is clear that one derives joy not from present
cooperating circumstances but from the promise of the prophetic Word. The
believing
Christian knows that the fleeting joys and the temporary adversities of this
world are to be accounted as little by comparison to the joy that
awaits
us when we step into the presence of Christ. The apostle Paul says this most
strongly:
For
which cause we faint not; but though our outward man may perish, yet the inward
man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for
a
moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While
we look not at the things which are seen: but at the things which are
not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not
seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:16-18).
The
best of this life is not then to be compared with the joys of the future. This
life is not final reality, it is the prelude to that reality. The worst
circumstances
imaginable in this world are but light affliction that lasts but for a moment.
Reality, fullness of joy, comes to us from God when we pass
from
this life into the life to come.
We
learn, therefore, from the Word of God, that the Lord has produced a special
period of time, which is the Church Age. During that period of time, there
is
being fashioned by God himself that wonderful entity, the body of Christ.
When
the body of Christ is complete, of which each believer is a member, we win be
caught up into heaven to be with Christ. The bodies of those who have
gone
before will be resurrected, and a living generation of Christians will be
caught up without dying to meet with those who have gone before to be taken
by
Christ into heaven.
There
is an exact moment when this completion of the body of Christ will happen. That
moment, at this present time known only to God, will bring the translation
of
the body of Christ into heaven. All believers at that moment will move from the
Church militant to the Church triumphant.
In
eternity, the believers will realize their true destiny: to be the inheritors
and the co-rulers of the universe with Jesus Christ. It is no small thing
to
be a Christian! Believing in Jesus Christ is not merely the emotion of a
moment, it is to be eternally joined with God himself and literally a partaker
of
the divine nature. It is to have the hope of eternal life, which God, who
cannot lie, promised before the world began.
The
proper attitude, therefore, of the believer is to brightly anticipate the joys
of heaven. The proper sentiment is also to allow for the possibility
that,
"Perhaps today, perhaps this very hour, I will be caught up into the
presence of Christ and so to be with Him forever."
Let
us remember, then, that there is not one but two possible ways in which the
believer will go to heaven. One of them is via physical death. Concerning
this,
we ought not to be afraid because, in fact, the Christian does not die. Christ
has abolished death and promised that when we believe in Him, we will
never
die. The Christian, even in "dying," does not even lose consciousness
but discovers the marvelous truth that absent from the body is present with
the
Lord.
The
other possibility for going to heaven is the Rapture, the catching up of the
Church into the presence of Christ. So thrilling is this prospect that
we
ought to learn more about this event in which many of us may well participate.
Happily them though there are many related questions concerning the Rapture,
we
can discover the answer by looking into the blessed pages of the Word of God.
We
have learned that the Rapture is the method by which Christ will take that last
generation of believing Christians home to be with himself. There is
little
disagreement by those who pay the proper, studious respect to the Word of God
that the Bible teaches the physical transport of believers from the
earth
to heaven. That is a fact, which is presented undeniably and without apology in
the Scriptures.
The
questions which then arise have to do with the timing of the Rapture. People
ask, "When?" The Rapture event is the object of much discussion with
reference
to
the timing, relative to a special era in history called "the
Tribulation." Therefore, the question often takes the form of "Will
Christians go through
the
Tribulation?" and "Will Christ come for His own before the
Tribulation?" and other related concerns.
To
discover the answers to these questions, we must think concerning the basic
question, "What is the Tribulation?" A proper understanding of the
days of
the
Tribulation can go a long way toward answering the question of the timing of
the Rapture relative to the Tribulation. What then is "the Tribulation"
so
commonly spoken of in Scripture?
The
first and most basic answer to that question is that the Tribulation is the
seventieth week of the prophecy of Daniel. One of the most consolidated
histories
of the world, of the divine intention, is found in that prophecy.
Seventy
weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation
for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision
and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy (Dan. 9:24).
Here
we have the goals that God is determined to fulfill in that seventy-week period
of time that will bring us to the consummation of history.
Daniel's
prophecy says that a most notable and tragic event will take place at the end
of the sixty-ninth week, namely that Messiah shall be cut off. So
the
somber prediction of the death of the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ, is
presented to us by the prophet Daniel. So stunning is this event, so awesome
a
proof of the rebellion and sin of the people of God that the crucifixion of the
Son of God stops the clock of prophecy.
On
the occasion of the death of Christ, the veil of the temple was rent in twain,
split from top to bottom, and the program of God for His people, the Jews,
came
to an abrupt halt. The unspeakably sad result is pictured in most moving
fashion in Matthew's Gospel, presenting us the words of Christ.
Oh
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not
see
me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord (Matt.23:37-39).
Here
we have Christ stating in advance the results of the rejection of their Messiah
by the Chosen People of God. Their house would be left unto them desolate!
So
it is that the house of Israel has been left desolate now for nearly 2,000
years. The children of Israel have been scattered across the world and have
been
subject to calumny, persecution, and rejection in nearly every nation of the
world. This period of time has been the era of Israel being cut off from
the
true vine and the Church grafted in.
During
the Church Age, therefore, God has had no specific program with the nation of
Israel. Rather, in this day of grace, He has been calling both Jew
and
Gentile to faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. All who so believe
in this day are members of the body of Christ.
But
God has not entirely forsaken His people. He has one last cycle of discipline
for Israel. That period of discipline will come during Daniel's seventieth
week,
the week of the Tribulation.
The
Tribulation is, therefore, the time of Jacob's trouble. Jeremiah says,
"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" (Jer. 30:7).
Israel
is held responsible by the Lord, along with the Gentiles, for the crucifixion
of Christ. This is the reason for the awesome silence of Jehovah in
relating
to His people during the two millennia that have transpired since the death of
Christ. Clearly, however, the Word of God declares that God has
not
finally and completely cast away His people.
Indeed,
the Scripture speaks of the casting away of Israel and announced that that
produced the reconciling of the world. The Scripture then speaks of the
receiving
of Israel, which will be life from the dead for the nations. Israel moved into
a period of blindness and estrangement from God until a point
of
time called the fullness of the Gentiles (Rom.11:25).
At
this point, God promises to work in goodness and severity with His people so
that, under the discipline of the n a on, Israel will be brought to a place
of
decision and faith. This is always the intention of divine discipline for His
own, in any era of history.
The
Tribulation, then, will be a time of the conversion of Israel. Most boldly, the
Scripture announces,
And
so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion
the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is
my
covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins (Rom. 11:26-27).
The
Tribulation will, therefore, be a time of great spiritual revival. It will mark
the conversion of Israel and great activity by Israel for the conversion
of
the world.
The
Book of The Revelation, therefore, announces an amazing multitude of 144,000
witnesses who represent the twelve tribes of Israel. These will have been
converted
during the days of the Tribulation and will have a profound effect upon the
world. When one remembers that there is only a fraction of this number
of
Christian missionaries in the world today, one is impressed with the zealous
response that will come out of Israel in the form of faith in Jesus Christ
as
its Messiah. "The gospel of the Kingdom" will be preached with great
zeal by them to the world.
The
Tribulation will also be a time of massive conversion of Gentile multitudes.
The Revelation says, after this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which
no
man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood
before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms
in their hands (Rev. 7:9).
So
remarkable is this sight that one of the elders around God's throne asked who
these people are. The answer from the Word of God is: "These are they who
came
out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:14).
Amazing
spiritual results occur when the world comes to the end of itself, realizing that
nothing on earth any value. It then turns in great numbers to
faith
in Christ as Messiah, bringing in a time of evangelism that will be one of the
largest and most effective in the history of the world. The anguish
of
the Tribulation produces a most salutary result. But a fearful time it will be!
The
Tribulation is the time of the outpouring of the wrath of God upon a wicked
world. In the account of the horsemen of the Apocalypse, when the fourth
horseman
rides forth, the Scripture says, power was given unto them over the fourth part
of die. earth to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death,
and
with the beasts of the earth (Rev. 6 8).
In
the beginning days of the Revelation, therefore, approximately 25 percent of
the world is killed in the opening wars pestilences of days. Very quickly,
the
Scripture says,
And
thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having
breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the
horses
were
as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and
brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire,
and
by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths (Rev.
9:17-18).
A
third part of men killed! This already mounts up to one half of the world's
population, and beyond this point in the Revelation many other natural
catastrophes
take
place. As the Tribulation unfolds, there are mighty earthquakes, occasions of
scorching heat, the advent of the Antichrist, world occult religious
organization,
and finally, the Battle of Armageddon, which will be fatal to scores of
millions of soldiers. This time of natural catastrophe combined with
divine
judgment will bring awesome carnage across the face of the earth.
The
Tribulation is the beginning of "the day of the Lord." As we have
seen, the Christians were conscious - because they read about it in the Old
Testament
-
that there was a time of fearful judgment coming upon the world called the day
of the Lord. The churches, however, needed instruction as to how to discern
the
presence of the day of the Lord and the way to know that the day of grace was
finished. Concerning this, the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians,
saying,
Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled,
neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of
the Christ is at hand (2 Thess. 2:1- 2).
Here,
the apostle Paul admonishes the believers of that faithful early church at
Thessalonica not to think that the day of the Lord had in fact come upon
the
world. Paul says they should not be troubled by the idea of this prospect being
present by (reason of) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by (reason
of)
our gathering together unto Him. In other words, the day of the Lord was not
present because Christ had not yet come and gathered the saints to himself.
The
apostle Paul is, therefore, saying that the rapture of the Church, concerning
which he had carefully instructed the Thessalonians, was the watershed
point
ending the day of grace and beginning the day of the Lord. In that the Rapture
had not taken place, the day of the Lord was not yet present.
Here,
the apostle Paul gives us a clear line of demarcation between the Church Age,
the day of grace, and the day of the Lord, which is the day of divine
judgment.
That line of demarcation is the rapture of the Church.
During
this day of Grace, God deals with the world with near-infinite forbearance. The
Lord has said that unrepentant, sinful man is to be seen as follows:
But
after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath
against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who
will
render to every man according to his deeds (Rom.2:5-6).
During
this age of grace, therefore, God tells us that man is, as it were, putting
iniquity in the bank. He is treasuring it up, but the judgment of man's
iniquity
is sure to come. It does not come by way of naked vengeance from God during
this gracious era, but it will come during the period of time called
the
day of the Lord, which begins with the Tribulation.
Why
does not the judgment of God come strongly upon the world in our time? It is
because of the presence of the Church, the bride of Christ, in the world.
Christ
is not intending to bring His bride to heaven bruised, battered, bleeding, and
badly damaged by the dreadful persecutions of the Antichrist, which
will
come upon the world during the Tribulation. Rather, He has promised to take His
Church home in timely fashion, so that she will be kept from the hour
of
Tribulation in the world.
Speaking
to the Church in the last days of church history, the Lord himself says,
Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from
that
hour of temptation, which shall come upon all of the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth (Rev. 3:10).
What
then is coming upon the world? An hour of temptation, an hour of trial, an hour
of tribulation. What promise does Christ make to the Church concerning
that
time of Tribulation? The promise is that she will be kept from that hour. Here
we have a remarkable clue as to the timing of the rapture of the Church
relative
to the Tribulation. The Rapture is positioned in Scripture as coming before the
Tribulation, by reason of which the Church will be unscathed from
the
judgment of the Tribulation. Some have expressed concern about the teaching of
the Bible that the Church is the bride of Christ. This will be dispelled
when
we read the Scriptures, which say,
Therefore'
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved
the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself
a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as
their
own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated
his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the
church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto
his
wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church (Eph. 5:24-32).
We
think Paul was speaking of human marriage ... and he was. But, in the highest
sense, he has Christ and His bride, the Church, in mind.
Does
the Church deserve to escape the Tribulation? Of course not! But, the
condemnation which every Christian knows he richly deserves has already been
vicariously
absolved via the condemnation of Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. Because the
iniquity of us all was laid upon Christ, we are, therefore, saved
by
righteousness which is imputed, accredited to us by virtue of the shed blood of
the Lord Jesus. The result is that we have the announcement, "'There
is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus . . ."
(Rom. 8:1). No condemnation!
Kept
from the hour is the faithful promise Christ gives to His church and that can
be the object of joyous confidence on the part of us all.
In
this day of grace, we who are Christians have been made custodians of the most
precious possession imaginable, the gospel of the grace of God.
It
will be different once the Tribulation begins! The message which the Church has
presently to preach to the world is the thrilling word that, "For by
grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). Here we have
this
wonderful offer of salvation by the unmerited favor of God because of Christ.
It is the core of the gospel.
What
is the core of the gospel? It is grace. By what price does this precious gift
become ours? The apostle Paul clearly says, For I delivered unto you
first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again
the
third day according to the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:34).
This
marvelous message the apostle Paul declares to be "the gospel." It
consists of the announcement of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of
Jesus
Christ.
The declaration is that the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary's cross was fully
sufficient, enough to save us to the uttermost who believe in Him.
Therefore,
the apostle Paul is able to declare, "For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption
that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:23-24).
We
are saved, therefore, not by our own righteousness but because we are justified
freely by the grace of God. To be justified means to be declared righteous.
It
does not mean to be made righteous but, rather, the righteousness by which we
are saved is that which we have by imputation. Therefore, the apostle
Paul
is able to expand on his message and declare that, Abraham believed God, and it
was imputed unto him for righteousness.
In
this passage, the word for "believed" is the word amen. Salvation, therefore,
because the world is guilty and unable to work for God, comes "to him that
worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly . . ."' (Rom. 4:5).
The
Church of our time, therefore, is custodian of the thrilling message that God
has a gift for the world and it comes on an absolutely free basis. No
work
of man - before, during, or after salvation - is a part of that salvation, nor
does it make his eternal life any more sure. This is the day of grace
and
salvation, and salvation is by grace alone. So, the gospel of the grace of God
is the message that everlasting life is available to all by faith alone.
During
the Tribulation, however, the message that will be announced to the world is
called "'the gospel of the Kingdom." What is this message? It was the
same
message our Lord Jesus presented to the nation of Israel in His earthly
ministry, particularly as is represented in the Gospel of Matthew. The earthly
ministry
of Christ was the King speaking to his errant subjects and announcing, as
Matthew describes it,
From
that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand (Matt. 4:17).
So,
Matthew describes the ministry of Christ by saying, And Jesus went about all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the
kingdom,
and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases among the people
(Matt. 4:23).
The
people of Israel, as we have seen, rejected both the King and the kingdom He
offered - the kingdom of heaven. This rejection was not merely verbal,
but
the Scripture announces that, with utter cynicism, they nailed Christ to the
cross.
Stupendous
is this blindness, this cruel rejection of their King, this deocide. That's
when everything changed. A sinful humanity was now utterly disqualified
from
salvation merely by repenting and receiving the kingdom. Without moral
credentials or capacity, man, if he is to be saved at all, must be saved by
utter
grace. No deal, no arrangement, no nothing.
Man
is guilty! All humanity is bankrupt! God, if He would save man, must open a
bankruptcy court. There, He can declare guilty sinners, when they admit
their
bankruptcy, to be forgiven. He has been conducting that bankruptcy court for
nearly 2,000 years. There, He declares sinners guilty (Rom. 3:19) and
then,
if they agree, they are cleansed in the blood of Christ. That agreement is
called "faith." There is, there could be, no other way.
The
parenthetical period (the Church Age) that followed the death, the murder, of
Christ was not, characterized by the announcement that "the kingdom of
heaven
is at hand- but, rather, that a guilty humanity by faith in Christ could be
saved by grace. By this, they would inherit not merely the kingdom of
heaven
but, rather, be heirs and perhaps rulers of the universe. What incredibly
fortunate people form the body of Christ!
There
is coming a day, however, when the body of Christ will be complete, and the
group to rule the universe will have been raptured out of the world. At
that
time, God will renew His program with the nation of Israel, and then will come
again the announcement: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. So it is
that
believers in Jesus Christ during the Tribulation are saved by faith as has been
the case in all ages. However, they are saved into participation in
the
kingdom of heaven. That is the Kingdom that will, during the Millennium, and
then throughout eternity, produce heaven on earth.
We
must remember, therefore, that believing Jews and believing Gentiles during the
Tribulation will be heirs of the world (Rom.4:13). Believing Christians,
saved
during the day of grace, will be heirs of the universe. The event of
demarcation between those two eras in the divine dealings with mankind is the
rapture
of the Church.
This
is a point not well understood by Christians in our time and understood not at
all by the world. This pitiful world still believes a sadly mistaken
view
of Christianity. It thinks that the Church makes the announcement, "If you
come to church, you will go to heaven" or "If you clean up your life
and
go
straight, you will be forgiven of God and you may make heaven some day."
This is, of course, not at all the message of the Church.
The
message of the Church is that, because of the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ, God has a free gift for man. "For the wages of sin is death;
but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom.
6:23).
All
who believe in the finished work of Calvary's cross and accept salvation as a
free gift from God are given everlasting life. Upon making this decision,
they
become heirs of-God, joint heirs with Christ, and objects of His blessing for
all of eternity.
But
the message of the Tribulation as presented to us by Jesus Christ is not the
same. Christ warns about the coming of the "abomination of
desolation"
as
signaling that the Tribulation is fully upon the world. Continuing in that same
address, He then says,
And
woe unto them who are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But
pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day
(Matt. 24:19-20).
So
there will be a reconstitution of the Sabbath Day. The rule is that a Sabbath
Day's journey must not be violated on that day. In the very next verse,
Christ
reveals of what era He is speaking: "For then shall be great tribulation,
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor
ever
shall be" (Matt. 24:21).
The
religion of the Tribulation will also bring the rebuilding of the temple (2
Thess. 2:4), the establishing of temple sac ice (Dan. 9:27), and other forms
of
Old Testament-like Jewish worship. So, the certified religion in the world
during the Tribulation will be Judaism, or as some modems might call it,
"neo-Judaism."
It
is clear that the Church must be taken out of the world before the days of the
Tribulation. This is because it would be impossible to have the message
of
the gospel of the grace of God and, at the same time, the gospel of the Kingdom
as concomitantly certified by the Lord. The Rapture is the event that
pointedly
punctuates the end of the era of the Church and the beginning of the era called
the day of the Lord, which commences with the Tribulation.
The
timing of the Rapture with reference to the Tribulation is clear - the Rapture
will take place before the days of the Tribulation. The timing of the
Rapture
with reference to the Church Age is also clear - the Rapture will end the
Church Age.
This
being the case se, thinking people everywhere wonder how soon the Rapture will
take place when we observe the remarkable developments of this present
time.
Across the nations of earth there now is transpiring a set of events that has
set the world to thinking once again. Not since World War II has there
been
such a spirit of expectation in the world - the religious world and the secular
society. We do well to take a brief look at some of the areas and
occasions
that have newly ignited an interest in the prophetic Word.
In
the Middle East, and especially with reference to the state of Israel, we have
observed a set of circumstances that appear to be remarkably similar to
the
events predicted in the prophetic Word. In our time, the Jews have been
re-gathered from a period of dispersion among the nations of the world, and
they
are in their own land once again.
The
Israeli nation, having been reconstituted in 1948, has been able to survive
despite hopeless odds and the many wars leveled against her. In the more
recent
Gulf War, called "Desert Storm," Israel was the only non-belligerent
nation attacked by those devilish Scud missiles. Still, doubtless by divine
protection,
the casualties were very light - one person killed by direct debris from the
sky. That's an amazing statistic.
Now,
Israel is being forced by the major powers - particularly the United States -
to make peace with the Palestinians and Israel's Arab neighbors. This
amounts
to the program of "Land for Peace," which should be considered absurd
by all thinking people.
But
alas, that absurdity will become a reality! Israel will make a peace treaty
with the prince that shall come (Dan. 9:24-27), the leader of Europe. This
treaty
will virtually signal the beginning of the Tribulation.
We
look also at Europe and find ourselves provoked by a new set of thoughts coming
from the developments there. The Scripture indicates that Gentile world
power
will be encompassed in the hegemony of but four great empires. These are
Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The last of these, the empire of
Rome,
will be revived at the end of the age. The closest approximation to that is
present day Europe. As we hear of "the United States of Europe," we
sense
an
empire creating itself before our very eyes.
Europe
- Rome revived - will bring to pass the rise of Antichrist. His emergence must
take place after the rapture of the Church. It is at the beginning
of
the Tribulation that "the man of sin" will be revealed.
Russia
continues its strange course as well. The leaders of the world announce
"the breakup of the Soviet Empire," and "communism is dissolving
before our
very
eyes." These things are true, but the troublesome aspect is that they are
too good to be true. When observing this, we must remember the adage that
"If
something is too good to be true, it probably is.' (Meaning, of course, that it
is an illusion or a falsehood.)
Still,
despite all these strange gyrations of the former Soviet Union, the cold
reality is this: the central establishment of what was the Soviet Union
has,
despite all the rhetoric, eleven thousand nuclear warheads pointed at the
United States. Just prior to the Soviet Union's dissolution, General Colin
Powell
reminded us that "the Soviet Union could destroy the United States in
thirty minutes."
All
other developments notwithstanding, we must remember that the Commonwealth of
Independent States, as Russia and her fellow republics presently call
themselves,
forces us to face two considerations. The first is that it has a diamond-hard
military establishment. The second is that it is running short
of
everything else, including oil.
We
must bear in mind, therefore, that the Communist empire is not going to be
allowed by God to die with a whimper, saying, "Sorry about that." Its
doom
will
take place as it loses its army on the northern mountains of Israel. Whatever
our hopes may be, the shortages of everything and the unfulfilled ambitions
in
the former Soviet Union will force it to attempt a lightning strike to the
South.
This
presses a serious question for the United States! Over the years, there has
been but one entity, humanly speaking, that has prevented Communist world
conquest.
That entity is the United States of America, its nuclear capability and
willingness to use it. What then has happened to the United States that
makes
the Prince of Rosh feel that he can move with impunity to the South? Many
things, of course, are possible.
One
of the great possibilities, however, is the rapture of the Church. This event
would take from America its leadership class. The United States, if it
lost
fifty million of its people, would be hard-put to reconstitute itself quickly
as a major power. Certainly this reconstituting, if it were even possible,
would
take a large amount of time. This potential scenario alone may explain why it
is difficult to find America in the final prophetic picture as is presented
in
the Word of God.
Think
again of the Middle East as we consider the situation in our present world.
During Operation "Desert Storm," thirty- two nations gathered against
"Babylon"
and its mad, unstable leader. This remarkable gathering was the assembling of
the most powerful army that history has ever known.
We
must not ignore the similarity of this gathering to the prediction of the
prophet Isaiah against Babylon; "They come from a far country, from the
end
of
heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole
land" (Isa. 13:5).
We
must notice, then, that in the very next verse, Isaiah says, "Howl ye; for
the day of the Lord is at hand; and it shall come as a destruction from the
Almighty"
(Isa. 13:6).
Now,
as we have seen, the day of the Lord, that time of divine judgment upon the
world, cannot come until first comes the Rapture. Isaiah, being an Old
Testament
prophet, did not foresee the rapture of the Church or even the Church itself.
What might Isaiah's warning be were he to speak in our time? Might
he
not say, "The day of the Lord is at hand and therefore, the Rapture comes
soon. Wail, for a time of judgment is coming upon the world from which the
Church
win be delivered." The prophet Jeremiah indicates that there will be three
stages in the destruction of Babylon; three military powers will cause
its
downfall. Those will be: 1) An international military alliance.
For,
lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great
nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against
her;
from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty and expert
man; none shall return in vain (Jer. 50:9).
2)
A single nation from the north. For out of the north there cometh up a nation
against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein:
they
shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast (Jer. 50:3).
3)
The nation of Israel. ... Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of
hosts is his name. Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee
will
I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms (Jer.
51:19- 20).
Thinking
students of the prophetic Word will agree as to the similarity of the action
taken in Desert Storm to the first stage in the destruction of Babylon
-
the similarity to the prophetic description. There, then, awaits stages two and
three. Stage two, the coming of Russia and her allies against Babylon,
can
also be seen as described in Ezekiel 38. This battle takes place after the
beginning of the Tribulation.
Stage
three, the destruction of Babylon by Israel, could well be the act that draws
international consternation and even military action against what the
nations
will see as "presumptuous" Israel. This is indicated by Jeremiah in
saying, "At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the
cry
is heard among the nations" (Jer. 50:46). Reading this, we remember
Zechariah's prophecy. He tells us that at a day to come, all nations will
gather
to
war against Israel.
What
could be the aggravation, the trigger mechanism that could bring this to pass?
It could be that "arrogant" Israel has taken independent action
against
Babylon,
even at a nuclear level. The indication is that the last two of these
judgmental events take place during the days of the Tribulation. This would,
therefore,
suggest that the Rapture may happen between stages one and two. If this is
indeed the case, we must not disallow the possibility that the Rapture
could
be a part of the near-term plan of God.
It
is most instructive to think of the possibilities linked within the Old
Testament announcement that "the day of the Lord is at hand." The
timing of the
fulfillment
of that expression is in the midst of events that certainly resemble the events
of our time.
At
this point, a helpful word may be said about the timing of prophetic events.
The indication of the Scripture is that the events themselves are inevitable,
but
the timing is always subject to adjustment in the hand of God.
This
is apparent from the account of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was sent to Ninevah
with the announcement that Ninevah would be destroyed in forty days. Jonah
arrived
in Ninevah via a circuitous route - and began preaching with that announcement
central to his message. After forty days of preaching, he stepped
outside
of the city and waited in the anticipation of beholding before his eyes the
destruction of Ninevah. To the chagrin of the prophet, this destruction
did
not happen. In fact, God gave Ninevah eighty-five more years of opportunity.
Why
was this the case? It was because Ninevah repented. These pagan people turned
to the Lord and, therefore, saw the forestalling of divine judgment that
was
scheduled for them.
That
lesson should be learned by all. The events delineated in the prophetic Word
are a part of this mysterious continuum called "time." The total
picture
is
controlled by the God who stands above time and is certainly able to do with it
what He will. For this reason, we are to have a sense of surety about
the
events of prophetic history and the certainty that comes from faith that God
will bring it all to pass.
Of
the timing however, we are advised against announcing that we know the day and
the hour of His return Still, the provocative developments we are seeing
in
our contemporary world surely should cause us to took up for a redemption that
draws nigh. Christ is coming again for His own! Each of us must be ready.
What
then is the recommended attitude of the believer when he thinks about the
future, especially the rapture of the Church? In thinking of this, we recall
that
there have been dramatic occasions where whole companies of people went to
nearby fields to await the rapture of the Church. Dressed in white gowns,
they
looked up with ecstatic faces, believing that Jesus would return at any moment.
one element in the attitude of these believers was commendable, that
of
bright anticipation. They really believed that Jesus was coming again and were
moved to a form of action in response to that belief.
The
weakness, however, was in biblical exegesis. Their lack of careful knowledge of
Holy Scripture led them to be excessively specific about the time of
the
return of Christ. Believers do well to sing, "Jesus may come today,"
but they are excessively specific if they sing "Jesus will come
today." He denies
us
the knowledge of the day and the hour of His return because He would have us to
be expecting His coming at every day and in every hour.
Other
believers have reacted in a different fashion, becoming fearful at the prospect
of the return of Christ. Excessively settled in the things of time,
they
resent even the suggestion that all of that will be quickly gone some day. It
is a mistake to attach oneself to the things of time in any manner that
would
make the instant initiation of eternity the object of our resentment. Nothing
in this life should be held with so tight a clutch.
The
proper attitude when one contemplates the return of Christ is suggested to us
by our Lord himself. Speaking to His disciples and intimating the special
nature
of His return of His own, Christ said, Let not your heart be troubled: ye
believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions:
if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto
myself, that where I am there ye may be also (John 14:1-3).
In
these words to His disciples, the Lord Jesus makes to them the promise that He
will come again and receive them to himself. In this passage, He also
suggests
an attitude on their part. In fact, there are a number of lessons that we do
well to learn from these instructions by our Lord himself.
1)
We are not to be troubled but confident in faith. The believer who knows that
his eternity is secure and who walks by faith will be characterized by
an
untroubled heart. Fear of the future is dispelled when we believe in God and
truly believe in Christ.
2)
There is plenty of room in heaven. Christ promises us that His Father's house
is characterized by many mansions. We may be confident of a splendid dwelling
place
on high that is infinitely better and more beautiful than the best we can know
in this world. There is room also in heaven for neighbors and friends,
and
we do well to be inviting them to share heaven with us.
3)
Christ is preparing a special place for His own. What is Jesus doing now in
heaven? He is making the arrangements perhaps the final arrangements - for
our
accommodations in glory. We may be sure that such accommodations, prepared by
the loving hand of the Lord Jesus, will be splendid beyond our ability
to
describe them.
4)
Christ is coming again for His own. Here we have the promise of the
"special coming" of our Lord Jesus, the rapture of the Church. He is
not now speaking
of
His coming in power and great glory, but rather, of His intimate, special
relationship with those who believe in Him. For them, He is to make a special
journey.
Reviewing
this set of wonderful promises from the Lord Jesus, the believer will see grow
within him the confidence of solid anticipation, looking forward
to
that day in which the promises of Christ will come to pass for him.
The
proper attitude of the believer, therefore, is that he is neither fearful nor
cynical. Bright anticipation is to be recommended, especially in our time.
Yes,
before the sun returns again to the morning landscape, Christ may come again
for His own. Before we live another day, we may be translated from this
world
into the wonderful environs of heaven. Before too many hours, the commerce of
earth may shudder and then stop, awe-stricken by the disappearance
of
the world's best people. Each one of these things is well within the realm of
possibility and the certainty of their occurrence grows more sure every
day.
Bright anticipation, that is the proper attitude.