"RAPTURE!!" The Second coming of Jesus Christ Answers from the Bible 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." According to this passage, WHO is the Lord going to "catch up" and take away? "First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up" How long will these people remain at their destination? "meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." When will this happen? We need to look in another passage for that answer: Matthew 24:37 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day." What other event does this passage compare the Second Coming of Jesus to? Genesis 7:1-13 "Finally, the day came when the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I consider you alone to be righteous. Take along seven pairs of each animal that I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. Then select seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that every kind of living creature will survive the flood. One week from today I will begin forty days and forty nights of rain. And I will wipe from the earth all the living things I have created." So Noah did exactly as the LORD had commanded him. He was 600 years old when the flood came, and he went aboard the boat to escape--he and his wife and his sons and their wives. With them were all the various kinds of animals--those approved for eating and sacrifice and those that were not--along with all the birds and other small animals. They came into the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. One week later, the flood came and covered the earth. When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, the underground waters burst forth on the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights. But Noah had gone into the boat that very day with his wife and his sons--Shem, Ham, and Japheth--and their wives. With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of breathing animal--domestic and wild, large and small--along with birds and flying insects of every kind. Two by two they came into the boat, male and female, just as God had commanded. Then the LORD shut them in." Who is God saving? "So Noah did exactly as the LORD had commanded him. He was 600 years old when the flood came, and he went aboard the boat to escape--he and his wife and his sons and their wives."..... "Then the LORD shut them in." After God shut the door, how soon did the destruction begin? "But Noah had gone into the boat that very day with his wife and his sons--Shem, Ham, and Japheth--and their wives." (Gen.7:13) Matthew 24:37-39 "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." Did any of the people alive at the time, other than Noah and his family, know of the judgment that was coming? "People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." Did Noah face the wrath of God? Did Noah endure Tribulation? John 16:33 (KJV) "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." In this world, what does John tell us that we ALL, SHALL have? "ye shall have tribulation" Do you know what the Bible says some people will NOT face? 1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." The Bible tells us clearly that Christians will be taken out of this world when Christ returns, and they will remain with Jesus Forever. They will not return to earth for any future events. The Bible tells us clearly that, the return of Jesus is compared to the rescue of Noah. Durning that time, those who belonged to God, ---Noah and his family---were preparing for God's judgement on the sinful world. The very day that they entered into the safety of the ark, God shut the door, and his wrath fell on the rest of the world. After Noah left the earth, Judgement was carried out on the rest of the earth! Noah and his family suffered the tribulation of ridicule and persecution from the sinners of this world. They suffered the tribulation of carrying out God's plan, yet they were saved from God's wrath. God destroyed the sinful earth during Noah's time. He will destroy it in the future. God's wrath will be poured out on the sinful world. Yet, he will send the true "Ark of Safety"; who is Jesus Christ---to bring His own, into safety! How many times will Jesus come again? 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (vs 1:"Finally, brothers".....) "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." Which two groups will be resurrected at the same time, right before Jesus returns? "First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" Also, look at this verse: John 6:39 "And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day." What is the "Last day", when these shall be raised to eternal life? Look at the other Bible verses which talk about this day: John 6:40 "For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life--that I should raise them at the last day." John 6:44 "For people can't come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them from the dead." John 6:54 "But those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day." John 11:24 "Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." John 12:48 "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day." What conclusion must be reached from the words of the Bible, about the time in which the "Rapture" of believers and the Resurrection occurs? "at the last day." John 12:48 tells about the time when unbelievers will be judged. When is that? How can dead unbelievers be judged, if they are in their graves? John 5:28-29 "Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment. " When does scripture repeatedly say this will happen? "at the last day"! And how will the end be ushered in? Will it be secret and silent? "with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God." (1 thess 4:16) Matthew 24:27 "For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. " Matthew 24:30-31 "And then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven." Does that sound silent and secret?! Will God's judgments take place at different times? Does Jesus return over and over? What does the Bible say? Romans 2:5-11 "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. " How many judgments are mentioned in that passage? How many different groups are judged? Who are the groups? Acts 17:30-31(NKJV) "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." When will Jesus judge? "He has appointed a day " Who will He judge? "He will judge the world" Revelation 11:18 "The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth." How many judgments are mentioned in that passage? Who is being judged? Matthew 11:22-24 "I assure you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on the judgment day than you! And you people of Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. I assure you, Sodom will be better off on the judgment day than you." How many days of judgment are mentioned? Read the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:14-30. This is clearly speaking of the judgment time when our Lord returns. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' He also who had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' "But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (NKJV) Who was at this judgment? Were any of those who were given "talents" absent? According to this parable, how many times does the Lord come back to judge? Who is the judgment for, the saved or the lost, or both? We must conclude, from what the Bible says, that Jesus will return at the Last day---- and the "Last day", is the day in which everyone will be judged! The Bible teaches very clearly that several things will take place on that day: 1. The dead in Christ will rise first. 2. Living believers will be caught up or "Raptured"--taken up to be will Jesus forever! 3. Unbelievers will also be resurrected from the dead on that same day. The living wicked will be destroyed, as we saw in the case of the days of Noah. When believers aare taken out of the world, sudden destruction follows. 4. Both the saved and the lost will be judged on the last day. The "Tribulation" Many people have confused the Biblical concepts of Tribulation and Wrath. Many actually combine these two concepts. The result is an idea that there is one time of terrible judgment and destruction that God has promised to save His people from. What does the Bible actually say? John 16:33 (KJV) "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This passage, addressed to Christians promises peace, despite, what? "tribulation" What does this passage say Christians will endure? "tribulation" But, to the contrary, the Bible, also addressing Christians, also promises that they are not appointed to something. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV) "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." What are Christians NOT appointed to suffer? "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath" According to these verses, Christians will suffer tribulation in the world every day, but they won't have to endrure the Wrath of God poured out on a sinful world. When will this day of Wrath take place? Matthew 24:21 "For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will ever see again." Or as the KJV states: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (This page is based on a study guide, which you can obtain a free by emailing kc@crministries.org and asking for "The End Times study guide") |
